The Chemistry Teacher
by kessypegssy
Summary: Hermione enrolls to Greenmeadow High, a muggle highschool. But when she meets her chemistry teacher, a hot man all the girls  and probably some of the boys  in school have a crush on she thinks she may have made the worst mistake of her life.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"So you're the new girl, huh?" a voice called from behind her.

After Severus Snape killed Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts was shut down. Too many memories for too many people caused the place to be too haunted for students to want to go there. And so, after a thousand years of boys and girls filling its corridors, Hogwarts was finally quiet and abandoned.

Being a muggle-born, it had always bothered Hermione that she couldn't graduate from a proper, muggle high school. So, acting as the nerdy learn-loving girl she was, she decided to take the opportunity to realize her dream and become a senior-year student. Also, she argued, it could be exactly what she needed to take her mind off the events that took place at the night of Dumbledore's death; or rather, cold-blooded murder. It might also return some of the lost sense of normality to her messed up life.

Currently, she was roaming the walkways of her brand new high school. Greenmeadow High. Perfect.

Hermione Granger turned around to see a girl with a brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She was looking at her expectedly, waiting for her to introduce herself.

Hermione shook herself from the contemplating and smiled warmly at her. "Yes, I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?..." She trailed off waiting for an answer.

"I'm Madeline Davis, and you're gonna be my best friend, well…other best friend, but still, you'll have to call me Maddy!" she said quickly. "So where did you come from?"

"I…uh…used to go to a boarding school in Scotland" she felt guilty about that one. Not that it wasn't true, but in order to enroll to Muggle school she had to magically create a result-sheet from a fake boarding school in Scotland. She added a little spell to make sure the principle wouldn't want to question too much into the whereabouts of this school, which made her even guiltier, but a girl had to do what a girl had to do, right?

"Cool! You're probably going to be cutely shy around boys, so you're lucky to have me around. Ellie is sick so we're going to have some time to work on that alone!"

"Huh?" Hermione looked at her in confusion, until understanding downed on her. "Oh, no… It wasn't an all-girls school"

"Oh…" that Maddy girl seemed a little disappointed. "Never mind, we can still try to find _you_ a cute guy, but _I_'ve already got a boyfriend, you'll meet him soon enough, being my best friend and all…"

"Best friend?" Hermione wasn't quite so sure that she was following the chatty girl in front of her.

"Yes… unless you don't want to. But you better want to because me and Ellie-"

"Ellie and I." Hermione corrected out of habit.

"-yeah, we are the most popular girls at school so…" she wriggled her brows smiling broadly. For some reason she didn't sound arrogant at all.

"You've only just met me and you already want to be my best friend?" Hermione asked, amusement dancing in her eyes at that surprising, funny girl.

"Strange, right? But the moment I saw you when the principle came to introduce you today at lit class I knew we'd be best friends. My intuition is never wrong, you know…" she wriggled her brows once again.

At that point, Hermione couldn't hold back anymore and she laughed whole heartedly. Maddy grinned too, taking her arm and asking her what was her next class.  
>Hermione looked the paper the principle had shoved to her hand but before she could answer Maddy was waving enthusiastically to someone Hermione didn't know.<p>

"Jake! Over here!"

"Hello Mads. Hello new girl." The approaching boy smirked at Hermione before giving Maddy a quick peck on her lips.

"As you've already guessed, that's my awesome boyfriend, Jake. Jake, that's Hermione Granger, my new BFF" she said as she linked arms with him.

"Poor you" he shook Hermione's hand with mock sympathy, earning a swat on his head from his girlfriend.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he asked, faking innocence.

"You know damn well what was that for, Jay-boy, now shut up and escort us ladies to-what class did you say you have again?" she looked at Hermione questioningly.

"Biology and then chemistry"

"No! Don't say the 'C' word!" Jake suddenly cried out, but then sighed in defeat, muttering a silent "dammit" under his breath.

Scared and confused, Hermione watched Maddy's eyes light up and a huge grin crossed her face. Then her eyes became dreamy and she jumped up and down, holding Hermione's hands in hers. "Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!" she squealed in excitement.

Jake groaned, rolling his eyes.

"You _have_ to meet our chemistry teacher, you _have_ to! He's the hottest thing ever! All the girls in the school have a _huge_ crush on him, and he's so…tall and funny and…dark! And he's flirting with us shamelessly! God, I'm in love" she batted her eyelashes a few times, her hands clasped dramatically in front of her.

"Um… isn't your boyfriend here?" Hermione raised one eyebrow in a questioning manner. 

"Oh, he's used to it." She swatted Jake again on his head as he smirked at Hermione. "Besides, he knows he's the only man for me" she jabbed at his ribs, earning a smug full kiss on the lips from her boyfriend.

Hermione laughed at that, thinking that it was probably going to be a very interesting year.

***

By the end of biology class, Hermione already knew Maddy wasn't lying when she said she was the most popular girl at school. Wherever she went she was greeted with smiles and "hi's" and waves. Other students also constantly asked about Ellie, Maddy's sick best friend (Hermione assumed). She thought she was lucky Maddy took notice at her on her first day.

Hermione looked at her iPhone and saw she head two missed calls; one from her parents and another one from Harry. Over the summer vacation Hermione convinced Harry, Ron and Ginny to buy cellphones. It took some getting used to from Ginny and Ron's side, but finally they agreed that it was the best way to remain in contact with each other.

After she finished talking to her parents, (assuring them she was doing great and that she settled in the new apartment they had rented for her), she quickly called Harry.

"Hey! How's my favorite girl doing?" It was Harry alright! "Ouch! Gin, baby, stop with the green-eyed monster, you know Hermione's practically my sister!"

"Hey Harry, hey Ginny." Hermione chuckled, speaking to both of them, as she knew  
>Harry put her on a speaker. I hope you two don't miss me too much"<p>

"Of course we do, Mione, I miss terribly my best friend" Ginny whined, Harry joining her words.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, guys, but I already have a new BFF here." She smiled, looking at the nearing Maddy, who looked satisfied. "And if I don't end this call soon I might be late to my chemistry class with the hottest teacher alive apparently." Every female student who heard she has chemistry class assumed the same dreamy look Maddy had earlier when she talked about that mysterious teacher and sighed about how lucky she was to have a class with him.

"Yeah," Maddy stole the phone from her hand "It's your replacement for BFF-ery talking, whoever you are." She smirked when Hermione mouthed "Is BFF-ery even a word?" but ignored her and kept talking "I know you're dying from jealousy that I took Hermione from you," she was joking with them "And I'm sure you're dying to know me, but I only have time to tell you that my name is Maddy and we're gonna be terribly late to Chem if we don't fish this conversation, so bye-bye! Adios! Aloha! Whatever!" She hung up the phone, pulling Hermione from her hand to what probably was the chemistry lab.

Hermione texted Harry and Ginny her apology while letting Maddy lead her. When she finished texting, she looked up to see they were in a classroom. Strangely, it didn't look like a lab. There were five rows of desks instead of the normally long and high lab desks. Some tubes and substances were organized neatly in a large cupboard at the side of the classroom. It looked strangely familiar to Hermione and then she instantly thought of Potions class, but she determinately shoved the thought out of her head.

The first thing she noticed was that the first front lines were occupied solely by giggly girls with too much cleavage showing and suspiciously high skirts.

"Darn it." Maddy cursed under her breath. "All the good sits are taken." She led Hermione to the only available seats in the back of the class.

Suddenly the class buzzed with excitement as the teacher entered to the classroom, a self-confident smirk playing on his lips.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she saw his face. This amazing, _amazing_ face.

It was very obvious he was aware of the girl from the front lines blushing and giggling "hi's" to him.

"Hello to you too girls," he said in his deep, sexy, velvety voice. "I hope you didn't go crazy over the summer vacation without me." Some of the girls muttered that they indeed went crazy, almost drooling at his sight and flirtatious words. He smiled even more flirtatiously, clearly aware of the affect it had on the girls "So without further ado, we will start with the lesson. Cleo, sweetheart, take out the gum from your mouth, you know the rules." She complied, smiling all the way to the trash can. He seemed to remember something then "Maddy, darling," he said, turning to look at Maddy who sat a few tables away from Hermione, "The principle said I have a new girl in my class? So who's the new girl I have to try and make fall in love with me?" He asked, grinning mischievously, making some of the girls sigh with jealousy.

"Mister S, you can try and make _me_ fall in love with you." One of the girls, wearing a cheer leader uniforms tweeted.

He looked at her with the same over-confident grin and said "Now, now, Gloria, I think it's only fair that I give everyone in this class an equal opportunity, and I think I've already achieved that goal with you."

"That you did, Mister S, I'm totally in love with you. Do you want to be my boyfriend?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

"A, it's illegal for you to have a relationship with a teacher, Gloria," Maddy finally spoke. "And B, even if it weren't, I would have the highest priority as the best friend of his sister, Ellie, and since I was crushing on him ever since I discovered that boys aren't just hair-pulling, gross creatures. C, the new girl is right here, and her name is Hermione Granger, and if the deep breath I heard her take is any indication, I think she is already in love with you." She pointed at Hermione who was inhaling sharply, not even listening to a word that was said ever since the teacher walked into the class.

He followed Maddy's finger until his eyes rested on her face, and they widened a little at her sight, a wild look hunting his face for a split second. But a moment later he was smirking, even if a little forcedly and said "well, welcome Hermione, to Greenmeadow High."

Hermione wanted to move, or reply or _something_ but found it physically impossible, as if bound to her chair by a spell.

_'Oh Merlin, help!_' She thought voicelessly, looking helplessly at the intense gaze of her new chemistry teacher.

~~~##*##~~~

Hey. So thanks to my amazing beta, **Christina Wynnwood**, this chapter is edited now.

I hope you can enjoy it better now.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Thanx so much for your wonderful reviews! I practically squeaked in joy at reading them! You guys are the best! So here you go…another chapter and only a day after I posted the first one! That's what you get for being such good reviewers…I seriously am in love with each and every one of you!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

_'No way! No way in hell this is happening!_' Hermione thought to herself. Her heart was beating fast, her breaths came shallow and quick, and her eyes were wide open. She was pretty sure the whole, annoyingly smirking class thought she had a bad crush on her chemistry teacher. They seemed as if it was a regular thing for a girl to fall for him, which, Hermione assumed really was in this school.

But she wasn't crushing on him. Hermione couldn't imagine a situation in which she would be less crushing on a teacher. The bloody new Chem teacher. The bloody Severus Snape, may he rot wherever cold-blooded murderers like him rot. The skunk of a man is her supposedly muggle Chemistry teacher.

And everyone here loved him. How the devil is it possible? A silent voice in Hermione's head tried to remind her she was totally in love with him until the moment he killed Dumbledore but she ignored it, furious. He was so…different here, so sure of himself. Every step he took was filled with the clear awareness to the fact he's God's gift to women anywhere in the world. At least in that part of the world there seemed to be a consensus about it.

He looked like every girl's bad-boy fantasy, wearing a black tight t-shirt and a black pair of jeans. His abs and arm and chest muscles clearly showing through the tightness of his shirt, and for a minute there Hermione almost hated wizard-clothes for hiding his figure from her until now. Every move he made caused his muscles to convulse, eliciting sighs from girls around the room.

He recognized her. Of course he did! She was the best friend of the-boy-who-lived! The annoying little know-it-all. Even if she were the most god-forsaken student in Hogwarts she was sure he would recognize her, but being who she is left no room to think otherwise. She could see it in that split second of realization in his eyes, and from the way she was practically spelled to her chair, unable to talk or move.

Damn it, she was frustrated! She knew how to do wordless-wandless spells, but try as she might, she simply couldn't get away from the spell he placed on her! She wanted to scream for the whole class to get away, and that their beloved teacher is a murderer, but the spell was too strong.

So she just stared at him, trying to covey in her glare as much of her loathing she felt toward him as she could, while waiting to her doubtless doom. The lesson kept going with the girls (and if to be completely honest, even some of the boys) looking at Mister Snape, as they called him here, with admiration and so much trust Hermione wanted to gag. He on his part was flirting with the girls, while being all macho-y and super –cool with the boys. If only he'd behaved like that at Hogwarts he would have been the favorite teacher there!

Once the bell rang, his voice carried through the room, deep and powerful, "well, class since it's the first day, there won't be any homework." A cheer erupted from the class while Hermione thought _'what the hell? Is that even Snape or is it his good twin?'_, but then he added "Oh, and Hermione? Do be a sweetheart and stay after class for a moment."

Like she could do anything else, being spelled to the freakin' chair!

He waited until everyone filed out of the class, Maddy winking and smiling madly at her in the process, before he locked the door, placing a silent spell over the room.

_'Very funny, Maddy, I want to see you laughing when you'll have to come and scrape my remains from the floor!'_ she thought to herself as she watched him approach her slowly.

"Isn't it a funny situation we have here, Miss Granger?" he asked at the same voice she knew so well from Hogwarts. The cold, dark voice he used to scare everyone with, the voice that ever since her fourth year sent shivers down her spine and made her lost in his eyes. The murder he committed cured her instantly from this falling-in -love she had, though, so now it simply scared her.

It relieved her to see him back to normal again. _This_ him she knew. _This_ him she could handle. She didn't trust herself to deal with the flirty sexy version of him, like when he called her sweetheart when he asked her to stay after class.

"You can't talk but I have an interesting deal for you. As soon as you agree to it I will release you from the spell." She just glared at him with more hate but he chuckled at her softly.

"You see, Miss Granger, I am interested in continuing my teaching here and you want to stay alive. If you won't say a word I won't kill you. It's as simple as that. Do you think you can handle it?" he asked in the same calculated voice. He released the muting-spell he had on her.

"You filthy son of a b-" she roared a soon as she regained the ability to speak.

"Is that a yes Miss Granger? Because if it's not I won't even need my wand to kill you." He interrupted her.

"Well you can kill me, you shameless bastard, you're going to do it anyway, so why delay the inevitable?" she retorted.

"I'm under strict orders not to kill you, Miss Granger, so I will not do it unless you threaten my place here, no matter the consequences."

"Orders from who?" she looked confused.

"Orders from the Dark Lord" he stated simply.

He was crazy, that was sure. Why would the Dark Lord order him to do such a thing? Unless he wanted her alive to lure Harry into protecting her or something like that…

"And how exactly are you going to explain my sudden death in your classroom to the principle?" That was her only card. If he wanted so much to keep this job, (though only God knows why), he wouldn't try to jeopardize his chances by murdering a student.

"A few well-placed memory charms and no one will even remember your name." He said, a cold expression on his face.

"Harry knows where I am, he will come and take that job away from you and then and he'll kill you!" she was really desperate now.

"How do you know that's not exactly what I want? For Potter to follow you here so I could finish him and get my reward from the Dark Lord?" He smirked evilly, making her want to punch him. Unfortunately, she still couldn't move, bounded to her place by his spell.

The irony wasn't lost on her. There were days when she would dream being spelled to a chair in his class, him being so close she could smell his minty breath. Too bad that fantasy of hers realized a few months too late.

"Your next class should be here any minute, what will you do then?" She said with more bravado than she really felt, as the bell signaling the beginning of the next period suddenly rang.

"I'm finished for today, so no one is supposed to come here." He matter-of-factly shattered her last hope.

"Why do you want that job so badly anyway? Is it some sick plan of Voldemort to kill all the muggles of this school?"

"It's none of your business. It has nothing to do with the Dark Lord, Miss Granger, so if that's what worrying you, no muggle would be killed if you agree to my deal. However if you don't, some of them might lose parts of their memory." He eyed her darkly.

"I thought Voldemort ordered you not to kill me." She narrowed her eyes at him, trying one more time.

"I don't care what he said," he answered her, and by God, Hermione knew he wasn't lying. Hell and damnation! "I will not let him ruin this for me"

For the first time Hermione saw honesty in his eyes. She was pretty sure she could see desperation too. And almost drowning in this pulls of emotions that suddenly became his eyes, she heard herself letting out a breathy "fine".

He held her face in his hands in a swift motion, sending tingly sensation and warmth through her body from where his finger touched her. He looked into her eyes, looking for any sign of insincerity and then as suddenly as his touch came it went, leaving her cold and ashamed of her still-evident weakness for him.

He wordlessly released the spell and went away from her, looking a bit weary. She quickly bolted from the classroom, not bothering to look behind.

Needless to say, Hermione was very late to her next period, so she decided, for maybe the first time in her life, to skip it. She went outside to the sunny September air, breathing it in and trying to calm her wildly beating heart. This was sheer madness. What was he doing here if not on Voldemort's orders? Unless he lied to her, but Hermione felt that wasn't the case.

The bell rang soon, and a worried Maddy found her sitting on the grass, looking at nothing in particular.

"Where were you?" she asked worriedly, "And what did Mister S want?"

"Oh, he talked to me about my previous school, you know, he wanted to know what I've learned there." She feigned nonchalance.

"Well, is he hot or is he hot?" She smirked at her.

"Yeah, he's alright" she muttered under her breath, unable to block his muggle-clothed form from her mind.

"Alright? _Alright_? Hermione, you literally sat immobile for the whole class and bore holes at this delicious chest of his. I saw how you couldn't breathe when he entered. Believe me, I couldn't either and I'm used to him!" she exclaimed.

"I just don't like him, that's all." Hermione shrugged.

"How can you not like him?" she sighed, seeing that Hermione was serious.

"I just don't." She said flatly. "He gives me the shivers."

"He does that to all of us, Hermione, hun. But I'm guessing that's not the kind of shivers you're talking about" Maddy added quickly when Hermione threw her a dirty look. "Anyway I don't see why. Believe me when I tell you this he's the sweetest guy alive. I know he has this bad-boy look about him and he's very flirty, but he only does that to entertain the girls." She smiled softly. "I'm sure you'll warm up to him eventually."

Hermione shrugged again. No matter what this girl said, hell would freeze before she would believe Snape is cute. He was a murderer, a Death-Eater and her worst nightmare and she would never _ever _warm up to him. Ever.

~~##*##~~

So… let me know what you think! What do you think is Snape's motivation in staying in this school? I can only tell you that you'll probably find out next chapter when a very favorite character of mine will be introduced…you have something to wait for!

Oh, and do you think Snape was too OOC when he was with Hermione? I know he is when he's "sexy Mister S", but is he goodly-written when he is alone with Hermione and back to his meanie character that we all loved. Comment please!

And thanks to my amazing beta, **Christina Wynnwood**, this chapter is edited now.

I hope you can enjoy it better now.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys! Thanx so much for the wonderful reviews! I really love them! They make me keep writing!

So here you go. Another chapter, longer than usual!

**Chapter 3**

"Hermione!" Maddy waved her hands enthusiastically when she saw her. Hermione smiled as she went to meet the girl.

Maddy was accompanied by a tall girl, with black, straight hair and soft blue eyes. She was very pretty and had a sense of familiarity about her.

"Mione!" Maddy said when she finally stood by her. "That's Ellie, well Elinor, but really, Ellie, my best friend, no offence." She added quickly to the amused Hermione. "She was sick last week so she missed school, which sucked, by the way because I really missed you." She turned now to Ellie. "But at least we had the phone, right?"

In the past first week of school, Hermione found herself amused by Maddy a lot. She was always talking non-stop and, most of the time, her words made Hermione laugh. She was a funny, lively girl and Hermione was really happy that she decided to embrace her as her new best friend.

Besides, she was a nice distraction. She kept Hermione's mind off Snape. Since, to Hermione's chagrin, she took chemistry as an advanced class she had to see Snape a lot more that she was willing to. Hermione has always found Potions to be fascinating, and she figured chemistry would be the next best thing. As she did her reading during the summer she was glad to see she was right, thus she decided to take advanced chemistry. Oh how she wished she asked for the list of the teachers first.

As a result, avoiding Snape wasn't as easy as she hoped, and it was a constant reminder of him, and of that terrible day. The day when she discovered, that who she thought to be the love of her life, ever since the fourth year in which she fell for him, was actually a despicable murderer. It ripped her heart, having always held the highest respect for him and believing he was a good man. She has always defended him, telling the suspicious Harry and Ron that he would eventually prove them wrong. And then he went and proved _her_ wrong. And it stung so much she had to bury all feelings she had for him and try to mend her broken heart.

Funny thing life is. She thought to mend her broken heart at this school.

He was seriously trying her patience. For example, when he treated her like he would any other girl, as if he wasn't her snarky, cold Potions Master, she wanted to shake him, make him stop.

Like that one day in class, when he asked a question which no one could answer. He looked at her then and said, "Hermione, baby, don't you know the answer to that? Your records from the boarding school in Scotland said you were quite the know-it-all there. Lost your tongue here?" He smirked.

"Don't call me baby!" she lashed out at him, angry.

He simply chuckled at her. "But Hermione, babe, every girl in this room is dying for me to call her like that. I never call anyone baby."

She wanted to kill him! He taunted her on purpose and she knew it!

"Well I'm not every girl and I don't like you, so shut the fuck up!" Everybody gasped, including Hermione, as she lost it. Badly. She knew she shouldn't have. She never burst out like this at a teacher, not including Trelawney of course, but even then she didn't do it with so much venom. Hermione saw Maddy looking at her with wide eyes before she closed her own eyes afraid of the outcome of her rush retort.

"Language, Miss Granger" suddenly he became Professor Severus Snape again, shedding all traces of Mister S. It seemed that the class sensed the change as everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "That is not a way to talk to your teacher, so I'm afraid you will have to serve a detention after school today."

Damn him! Damn him and his detentions! She wanted to meet Harry and Ginny today, but she'll have to cancel it! She came to this school to forget him, and instead she gets another annoying version of him. And the worst part was she had no one to talk to about it, because she knew if she told Harry about it he would probably come rushing to kill him and he would die. Snape was too strong for him. Hell, he was too strong for her! She couldn't get away from his spell that first day of school!

After that he went back to being as flirty as always, laughing with his students as if nothing happened.

When the lesson ended, he handed her a detention slip. She snapped it away from him.

"Look, not screaming at your sight is very difficult for me." She explained annoyed. "And you're not making it any easier. I need you to stop talking to me if you can't keep the nicknames to yourself. I just can't do it anymore, and I'm afraid that if you don't stop I might end up telling someone something."

"Are you trying to threaten me?" He almost looked amused.

"No, I'm just telling you that there's a limit to what I can take."

"I'll think about it. Now we have to talk about your acceptance conditions."

Darn it.

She hoped the principle wouldn't mention it to him. The principle, Mister Thompson, allowed her to take advanced chemistry if she would be willing to be tested every week on some of the materials of last year. Apparently there would be some kind of a test that the government issued in order to determine the level of the advanced classes in the schools around the country. It would be on the materials of the previous and the current years. She agreed, of course and already spent the summer reading the books she would be examined about. Now she gets more time with _him._ Isn't life just sweet and dandy these days?

"I am ready to take the tests whenever you want. Can I take the test about all the books together?" she asked hopefully.

"No," he shook his head "Mister Thompson wouldn't like it. He's bending the rules already by letting you join an advanced class at your senior year. However, I am willing to give you your first test at detention today. You know the material, right?"

She nodded. "My chemistry teacher at my old school was very good .Oh, but you want to hear something funny? He went and killed our headmaster! Isn't it hilarious?" She couldn't resist it. She wanted to see his reaction to her words. She wanted him to be mad, shout, anything really!

But he completely ignored her, not even flinching, as if she told him the weather outside was nice. "You will stay after class every Thursday, seeing as you have chemistry in the last period and it's my last lesson as well." After that, he gave her some more instruction and she left, hating the thought of having to spend more time with him, which meant more tension that she already had.

And on Thursday no less! They only had school four days a week, so Thursday was the last day, and when everyone would be going home, smelling the freedom, she would stay and take tests! There were days when Hermione was thrilled at the thought of staying after school hours to learn some more, especially with Professor Snape, but now she didn't want to do it. Not anymore.

Maddy greeted her outside the classroom worried "are you okey, Mione? Why did you talk to him like that? It was really bad"

"Yeah, I know. Everyone probably think I'm such a… urgh! Never mind I just hate the guts of this man…"

Then Maddy said something really funny that distracted Hermione from the situation and Hermione couldn't stop her laughter.

And looking at her now, brought back in a flash all those memories. Hermione shook her head and turned to examine closely the girl who apparently was Ellie.

"Hello, Ellie I'm Hermione. I've heard so much about you"

"Ho, believe me. I've heard much more about you." She smiled back at her.

And Hermione believed her. Not just because Maddy was overly chatty and probably told her every single thing she knew, but also because Hermione could see the unmistakable aura of magic cracking around her. She was a witch; there was no doubt about it. And being a witch in England only meant that she knew Harry Potter and his best friend, Hermione Granger.

"Oh, I'm so glad you two are getting along! I was afraid you'd hate her, Mione and I just couldn't stand it!" Maddy jumped, excited.

"Why would I hate her?" Hermione was confused.

"Well, because she Mister S's little sister, and well…since you hate him so much I was afraid you'd hate her too!"

Hermione's face hardened. Thinking about it, Hermione did remember now Maddy saying something about Ellie being related to Snape.

"Oh, Jake! Bye girls, I'm gonna say a proper hello to my boyfriend." And with that she left them alone.

"So, you're Snape's sister" Hermione's tone wasn't so nice anymore.

"And you're Harry Potter's best friend, so after we established who our close people are do you think you can judge me by who I am and not by my brother?" Hope glimmered in her eyed

"I don't know." Hermione answered truthfully.

"Fine, but promise me you won't take this job away from him." She looked at her pleadingly. "He really likes it here. I know you don't believe me, but this place is good for him. He can't leave."

"Hogwarts was a good place for me. He made me leave it. I don't see why I can't return the favor." She answered dryly.

Ellie frowned. "But please, you don't understand! You can't take it away from him!" She almost cried.

Hermione felt sorry for her. "Relax," she said eventually, "I won't tell anyone. We made a deal anyway. He doesn't kill me, I don't tell on him."

Ellie opened big eyes "What? But why should he kill you when he worked so hard to keep you safe?"

Uh? What was she talking about?

"Anyway, I'm glad you won't tell." She said, not even letting her slip a word. "That way I can be your best friend without feeling like I'm betraying my brother." She laughed now, and Hermione found it really hard to keep hating her. Seriously, she was a likable creature.

"Forgetting about me already?" Maddy mock-pouted as she threw her arms around Ellie and Hermione's shoulders, squeezing in-between them.

"Hi Jake." Ellie laughed but not before she jabbed Maddy in her ribcage.

"Hey there Ellie, so I see you met the only girl in this school who has no crush on your brother. She totally hates him!" He grinned, ignoring the glares Maddy threw at him. "She even said the F word in his class!"

"You did?" Ellie looked at her surprised while Maddy slapped Jake at the back of his head. "What did he do?"

"Detention." Hermione muttered.

"But he never gives detentions!"

"Well I guess old habits die hard." Hermione said, thinking of the thousands of detentions Snape-so generously-gave at Hogwarts.

"You do realize you make no sense at all." Maddy looked at her, shaking her head.

"On the contrary, Maddy, I make perfect sense." And with that said, she turned and marched to their first class for today, Maddy following and looking at her with confusion.

Chemistry classes had the frustrating habit of coming too quickly, no matter how hard Hermione tried to postpone them. Not that she could postpone them in any way, but she usually tried to shove them to the back of her mind, pretending they didn't exist.

Alas, they did, usually finding Hermione bitter and annoyed. And so, Hermione was being dragged by Maddy and Ellie to the first chem class since Ellie's arrival.

Much to Hermione's disappointment, Ellie was irresistible. Try as she might to hate her, she simply couldn't. They became best friend after a few awkward hours, after which Ellie simply laughed about the silliness of trying on purpose to dislike each other and Hermione sighing, admitting defeat. And after that Hermione confided Ellie with anything she couldn't talk to Maddy, being the muggle, or Harry, being the Snape-hater. It was refreshing after the stressful first week she went through.

When they finally got to the class, Snape was already standing there, waiting for the bell to ring. Upon their arrival, his face lit up mischievously.

"Drum rolls, please!" he called, the students who were there already hurrying to comply. "Presenting you, Princess Elinor Snape." They all started applauding, whistling and giggling. Some of them still drum rolled. "Princess Elinor has finally graced us with her presence, after arising from her deathbed and successfully fighting her sickness." He kept proclaiming at the same, formal tone, his face serious.

Ellie laughed. "You're crazy, Sev, I simply had the flu."

"Well who has the flu in the middle of the summer?" He asked, grinning wildly.

"Apparently I am," she answered, flopping down a chair at one of the last rows, Hermione and Maddy sitting next to her.

After that, the bell rang, and the lesson started.

"Hermione, baby, care to answer the first question you had for homework?" He still called her baby, or babe, making her shake with suppressed wrath and all the other girls to be jealous of her.

She answered the question with no emotions in her voice. She had to control herself; otherwise, she might throw something at him. Maybe her pen. Or the building. The latter sounded just great.

Ellie eyed her weirdly and then looked at Snape with pure rage.

The only other thing he said to her was "Hermione, babe, come after class so I can return your first test."

When the lesson ended and only Maddy, Ellie and Hermione were left in the class, Ellie went straight to Snape's desk, slamming her hand hard on its surface. "You damn fool!" She shouted at Snape.

He raised his eyes from the paperwork on his desk. "Do elaborate."

"It's already hard for her, why do you have to go and make it harder?" If glares could kill…

"What is she talking about?" Maddy asked silently, and Hermione shrugged in return.

"What are you talking about?" Snape seemed to share their confusion.

"Why do you call her baby? You call no one baby! You said it's too personal, so why do you call her that? She's struggling not to strangle you as it is, why add more difficulty?"

Snape didn't answer. He kept organizing the already neat pile of files.

"Answer me, Severus Tobias Snape or else…"

"Get out of my class. Now!" He snapped at her.

"You don't scare me, Severus, so you better answer my questions or I will spell you into the next century!"

"They always had the strangest threats toward each other. It's as if they think they are magicians or something." Maddy whispered in her ear, still not understanding what was going on at all.

"I will talk to you later. Right now you are late for your next period and I have students approaching my class." He practically shooed her away from the classroom.

"Fine! But we're not finished!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine! Now go!"

It wasn't until after they went out of the class that Hermione remembered he didn't give her test back.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this, Hermione, I didn't think he'd tease you like that." Ellie apologized. "He usually doesn't talk to me like he did now, but I guess I didn't have to shout at him in front of you…and Maddy."

"Don't sweat it, Ells, I'm sure Hermione was glad you defended her honor." Maddy said laughing.

"Yeah, thanks." Hermione gave Ellie a small smile.

"Don't thank me yet. He never called anyone baby, so I don't think he's gonna give that up now that he started!"

Hermione sighed. From what she understood from Maddy, Ellie and her brother had special relationship, and she didn't want to be the one to ruin it. She started to think Ellie was the reason this school was so important to him.

"So Ells, my parents are not home, can we come to lunch at your house? Maybe meet your hot boyfriend?" She wriggled her brows suggestively.

"I…I don't think that's such a good idea." Ellie looked at Hermione worriedly.

"Why not? You know, it's totally not fair." She turned now to Hermione. "She's got the hottest man on the planet as her brother and the second hottest man as her boyfriend!"

"Maddy, maybe it would best if you didn't mention my boyfriend until after I'll talk to Hermione in private about him." The same concerned look filled her eyes again.

"Fine! I don't see why but if that's what you want… anyways, we're coming to you after school, okay?" And with that they reached their class, Ellie looking helplessly from Maddy to Hermione.

~~~##*##~~~

Yay!

So…can you smell the romance? And what do you think of Maddy? And Ellie do you trust her? Vote and review please! Your reviews keep me going!

And thanks to my amazing beta, **Christina Wynnwood**, this chapter is edited now.

I hope you can enjoy it better now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ellie successfully postponed Maddy and Hermione's visit to her house. Every day she had a new excuse, and she seemed to avoid talking to Hermione about her mysterious boyfriend. Hermione wasn't stupid, and she figured out it was someone she knew, probably a Death-Eater or at least the son of one, though she had difficulty imagining the sweet, happy-going Ellie with a Death-Eater boyfriend. Then again, she had a murderer as her brother, so…yeah, maybe it was possible.

Ellie made it crystal clear that she was _not_ a Death-Eater and she did not believe in what they represented. But still she wasn't ready to tell Hermione about her boyfriend and Hermione didn't push it. A delicate friendship blossomed between them and Hermione feared another drama would damage it.

Maddy, though, didn't understand what the big deal was, yet she kept her mouth shut. She told Hermione Ellie and her family had many strange secrets and she was used to keeping them and not asking questions. She thought it a part of Ellie's "charm" as she put it. Hermione just laughed at that.

Charm. Ha ha.

Currently, Hermione was driving her new black BMW. Being an only child sure had its benefits. For example, her parents could afford buying her this car and renting her an apartment close to the school. Her parents lived in London. She was a long way away from there.

Maddy was sitting beside her, admiring Hermione's car and whining about her over-protective parents that wouldn't buy her any kind of car at all until she'd be at least nineteen. Hermione just chuckled nervously. Sure, she knew Snape didn't live with Ellie but in an apartment of his own, but she didn't know what to expect.

She honestly didn't want to go. Maddy, however wouldn't take no for an answer. She decided they were going to surprise Ellie with a visit. She said that she shouldn't be so worried, because Ellie was used for her coming without notice.

"You're going to have to give me more direction, Maddy, I really don't know where we're going." Hermione said.

"Oh, turn right here." she said absentmindedly, still brooding about the car matter.

Upon turning, Hermione was met with the most beautiful estate she had ever seen. It was huge, surrounded by large surfaces of healthy green grass. She was wondering how they were going to get to Ellie's house if the road she was driving ended at the gates of that estate. She pulled the car over when they finally reached the gates.

"Well?" she looked at Maddy questioningly. "What now?"

"Now we wait till they open the gates for us" she said, cheerful again.

"Who's they?"

"I don't really know. I've never seen anyone actually open these gates. They just…sort of open. I guess they're electronic or something like that." She shrugged indifferently.

"Okey, so when they're open, where do we drive then? I don't see any road." Hermione questioned.

"Why, you'll park in the garage of course, where do you want to go from here?"

"Wait, so Ellie lives here? In this estate? All alone?" Hermione was stunned.

"What gives you the idea she lives here alone? Her parents are here too, and currently her boyfriend. Isn't she lucky she gets to live with her boyfriend? My parents would never approve of me living with Jake."

Hermione let out a small "oh". How can her parents live with her? Weren't they dead? She had always assumed Snape's parents were dead. But then again, she had also assumed he didn't have any family, yet he had Ellie.

As soon as the gates opened, (magically, Hermione instantly recognized,) she drove silently to the garage.

Getting out of the car, Ellie went to the massive front door, Hermione following her closely. She knocked a few times and the doors opened. Hermione instantly recognized Eileen Snape. She resembled her son and daughter very much with her black hair and black eyes. Hermione assumed Ellie got her blue eyes from her father, though she had to see him to be sure.

"Hello Maddy, dear" she smiled at Maddy. Then her eyes travelled toward Hermione, widening a bit, but she composed herself quickly. "And you are?"

"I'm Hermione Granger. I'm new in town, so…" she trailed, pretending the woman in front of her knew nothing about her.

"It's nice to meet you, Hermione."

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Snape."

"Oh please, Mrs. Snape is my husband's late mom. I'm simply Eileen, dearie, and you must be the girl who hates my son." She said, amusement dancing in her eyes, a smile playing on her lips while Hermione blushed furiously. "Don't be embarrassed, dearie, I think it's refreshing for him. You're the only person who hates him… Here." she mumbled the last part under her breath. She didn't seem to hate Hermione for hating Professor Snape. It looked like she thought it was funny.

Maddy snickered to herself silently.

"Well then, I'll go tell Ellie you're here" and with that said she turned and left.

"You would think she would have butlers at such a huge place" Maddy said after Mrs. Snape went. "But no! She cooks herself, but I've never caught her cleaning anything, and the estate is always tip-top. And they have the weirdest collection of herbs here too…" she wasn't stopping even to take a breath, jumping from one subject to another in her very Maddy-ish manner "Isn't Eileen a darling?"

Hermione nodded. She was surprisingly nice. Just like her daughter, it was impossible to hate her.

"But sometimes she's very sad. So sad you wouldn't know her! Especially around October the 31st, that's her son and daughter-in-law's Memorial Day. They apparently died in a car crash or something like that. They don't talk about them much around here… hey, wanna come and see them in the pictures room?" And before Hermione could say a word she was dragged to a room nearby.

The "pictures room", as Maddy called it, was very much what its name suggested. Pictures hung on every possible place on the walls, but what caught Hermione's attention was a table in the middle of the room. Two pictures were placed on it, Hermione recognized it was of a man and a woman but she was too far to see their faces. Candles were lit up in a circle around the pictures.

"She makes sure there are candles all the time" Maddy explained in awe. "Come, I'll show you around."

She took her to one wall where Severus Snape's picture was hung. Next to it was a picture of Ellie and on the other side of it a smiling picture of Mister and Mrs. Snape. Yep, Ellie got her blue eyes from her father.

"That's the picture of Ellie's nephew, the son of her and Sev's dead brother. Apparently he doesn't know they exist. It's a one of those hushed-down secrets, though I don't know why."

Hermione tore her gaze from the picture of Severus to look at the nephew Maddy was talking about when her eyes widened.

Oh. My. God!

_'This is not happening to you, Hermione, you are dreaming'_ she tried to convince herself, but to no avail.

"Mione, are you okay? You're awfully pale" Maddy looked at her, worried.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to answer. She turned around to look closely at the pictures on the table. Her worst fear coming true.

The pictures were of Lily and James Potter. The nephew of Snape was Harry Potter! Harry Potter was the nephew of Severus-bloody-Snape!

And then she saw on another wall a picture of Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, a boy who had James' hair and mischievous grin, and another one who had Severus' eyes and nose sitting on each of Dumbledore's legs laughing happily.

And then a picture of young Snape, hands draped over the shoulders of a young James Potter and a young Sirius Black.

And then she saw another one of Snape standing between James and Lily, holding a small baby in his hands.

And another one of a younger Ellie, riding on Snape's shoulders, both looking extremely happy.

And then Snape with younger Draco Malfoy.

And then a recent one of Ellie and Draco Malfoy kissing.

Ellie was Draco's girlfriend. That's why she didn't want Hermione to know who her boyfriend was, and this room and the presence of the Malfoy boy were probably the reasons she was reluctant to have her at her house.

"What are you doing here?" she heard the unmistakable deep voice of her Potions Master.

Her best friend's uncle.

"Harry is your nephew?" she asked him, praying he would say it was all a joke to get back at her for showing her hatred for him in class.

"Madeline, I think you should leave the room. Wait for us in the dining room, please."

He had his Professor Snape's voice, the voice that left no room for arguments, and she hurried away from the room.

"Answer me!" she screamed at him as soon as Maddy was out and Hermione could hear heavy doors closing after her.

"Be quiet, Miss Granger, you are not supposed to be in this room," he answered dryly.

"Why? So I wouldn't know the truth?" She couldn't contain her anger. "You treated him like shit all this time and he was your nephew? And you want to kill him? You caused the death of you brother and his wife and now you want to finish the job? What the hell is wrong with you, you heartless bastard!"

"Calm down _now_" he whispered dangerously. "Calm down this instant. If you won't I swear to God I will kill you. I don't care what the Dark Lord would do to me, I will kill you!"

In a few long strides he was standing in front of her, holding her from the collar of her uniform shirt and shaking her, rage twisting his face.

"Put her down, Severus," Ellie called from the entrance of the room. "You will kill her"

"That's what I'm trying to do," he answered stubbornly, not leaving her collar. Fear was now creeping to Hermione's eyes. He was going to kill her.

"Come on, Severus, you didn't waste all this time making sure she would stay alive just to kill her now."

He let go of her suddenly, making her fall helplessly on the floor. He closed his eyes for a moment, regaining his composure. "I can't deal with it right now," he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ellie, please take her away from here before I do something I'll regret later.

Ellie pulled her away, and Hermione let her. Her head was spinning with fear and confusion and hatred. "Let go of me" she said once they exited the room.

"No, you need to drink or something, you're very pale."

"Let. The fuck. Go." Hermione hissed at her.

"So you're back to hating me now?" she was mad at her. "One secret and you hate me? It's not like you were entirely honest with Harry, were you? If you were, he wouldn't be your friend once you told him the truth! And you hate me for doing the very same?"

"What are you talking about?"

~~~##*##~~~

Ta da da da da! Some cliffhanger, right?

Truth be told, I originally revealed the other secret in this cahppie, but eventually I decided it would me too many secrets in one chapter, and I hate it, so…you'll just have to wait, won't you? *wriggling my brows evily*

Oh, and I have to ask: did you see the whole Harry is Snape's nephew coming Did you? I knew you didn't! Don't worry, it's based very well on the book…

Though you did guess about Draco. Although it's not that hard to guess. It wouldn't be a nice story if Krab or Goil were her boyfriend instead of our beloved Malfoy, eh?

Now I'm going to re-read this chapter and hope I'll like it, because I don't think I do…wish me luck!-yep, I'm after re-reading it now…I think it was a smart decision cutting Hermione's big secret from this chapter…hope u like it!

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!

And thanks to my amazing beta, **Christina Wynnwood**, this chapter is edited now.

I hope you can enjoy it better now.


	5. Chapter 5

First of all: sorry for the super long wait! I had so many tests and I couldn't write because I had like 3 tests a week!

But I'm over them now, hopefully forever…so back to business.

Next week though I'm taking a vacation, so I wouldn't be able to update as well…

Secondly: I want you to know I reread and re-edited this chapter like gazillions times! I can't stand the sight of it anymore!

Well, I hope you'd like it… enjoy reading, and comment!

**Chapter 5**

"Ellie stop! She doesn't know!" Snape, who just came out of the room, had a terrified expression on his face.

But she wasn't listening to him. "I'm talking about you being the Dark Lord's granddaughter. Thought I didn't know about your little secret?"

Hermione thought she was going crazy. None of it was making any sense! First, she discovered Snape was related to Harry and then…Surly she didn't hear right.

"What did you say?"

"Don't try to fool me, Hermione, I told you, I know the truth."

"She doesn't know, Ellie." Snape whispered, almost horrified, "She doesn't know."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" She looked at him regretfully "Hermione, I'm sorry! I thought you knew!"

"I…I don't think I feel so good" Hermione murmured, feeling slightly faint. She wobbled somewhat in her place and she felt like her legs wouldn't carry her anymore.

Before she knew it, strong, warm arms enveloped her, sweeping her off her shaking feet. Severus Snape was holding her, embracing her tightly to his hard, muscular chest, pressing his cheek to hers, mattering calming words to her.

And she felt electric bolts coursing through her body, spreading all over her from wherever his body touched hers.

God, she hated the way she loved this feeling, this warmth, the way he made her relax and forget about everything.

And for a split second all was good. And she could stay in his arms forever.

And be safe.

~~~!~~~

Severus Snape was in love.

It took him many years to come to this conclusion, and when he did he hated himself for it.

He was a pervert, that was for sure, for falling in love with his student. He felt like such an idiot! He didn't even want to try to figure out when it all started, because he was sure he wouldn't like the answer to that question, and it would only make him feel more ashamed of himself.

But there was nothing he could do about it. And he tried. Really. He did.

He was always there in her life, hovering in the shadows, watching her .He remembered the day his master called him to his private rooms. She was just a baby, lying down in a crib standing in the middle of a dimly candle-lit room, only a few days old.

"That's my granddaughter, Severus. Hermione." He said to him coldly. Severus noticed though, that as much as he tried to show indifference, he cared about her.

It wasn't a secret among the Death-Eaters that the Dark Lord had a daughter and a son-in-law. Frankly, everyone liked them, even if some of the Death-Eaters had a difficulty admitting that fact.

All the women Death-Eaters were excited about the birth of Jane and Daniel Granger's daughter. Sometimes Severus didn't even think they acted like Death-Eaters. It was humiliating, really, the way they all cooed and purred at Jane's belly, or even read the unborn child muggle stories. Please!

The top of it all was one day when Bellatrix bought pink muggle baby suits (though how she got into a muggle store without killing everyone was a mystery to him) and all the women were sitting around Jane, and squeaking and squalling at them. Of course the men shook their heads, and hurried away from them, ashamed and embarrassed to their bones.

But they were always different when they weren't wearing their masks, when their façade of the presentable Death-Eaters wasn't on. Before joining the Death-Eaters, Severus thought about them as faceless, heartless figures that sat around all day long and thought about murdering people. Then he learned that they had families, friends, little inside jokes and… well… _lives_.

"I need you to take care of her." The Dark Lord continued. "Her parents agreed that it would be best if she didn't know about me, so they are going to live as muggles. When her letter from Hogwarts arrives, she will think she is a muggle-born." He eyed Severus carefully, measuring his reaction. 

Severus showed no emotions. That was the key to survive a talk with his master. Occlumency and no emotions. His mind, though, was reeling with questions. Why him? And why not to tell her?

"She will not know about you either. You will watch her constantly, discreetly, making sure she is alright, feels good, and no one bullies her. She must be safe at all cost. She must be saved from _anything_, Severus, am I understood?"

Severus merely nodded.

"I chose you because I know your father is muggle, and you are aware of the muggle ways. In many ways you remind me of myself. If you do well on this mission, you will be rewarded. I might even put you second-in-command after myself. If you will fail, however, I will kill you without hesitation." His face was grave, and Severus knew he wasn't joking. The Dark Lord never joked.

"You will be a teacher at Hogwarts," he instructed him further "so you can keep an eye on her when she'll grow. I want you to try and get a job there as soon as possible. If you can't be a teacher, be a house-elf for all that I care. You must be there to defend her from all those children with careless wands."

Severus nodded shortly again.

"Very well." The Dark Lord said satisfied. "Now, I will bind you to her as her godfather, as her protector"

Severus' eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly concealed it.

The Dark Lord stepped toward him, and placed the little baby girl in his slightly shaking hands.

Voldemort waved his wand, and an electric shock ran through him as the Dark Lord said the magic words that would keep them bonded. Severus recognized the magic as a very powerful, ancient one. He was amazed from the intensity of it.

And ever since that day, he could sense her. He could know where she was, if she were in danger, and if she felt something strongly, he knew about it instantly. He had the urge to defend her; an urge he had to fight many times so his role wouldn't be compromised.

Protecting her behind the scenes wasn't always easy, and it sometimes had unpleasant results.

Like the time when he sensed she was in danger from that troll in her first year. He tried to finish Dumbledore's mission to check on the Philosopher's Stone as soon as possible, but was distracted by the feeling of the threat she was facing. So that damn beast of Hagrid's bit him.

In her second year, he knew that Hermione, being Voldemort's granddaughter, was the only heir of Slytherin in the school, but he didn't understand how she found out about it and why would she decide to try and kill students. When he saw she was attacked too, he understood she wasn't behind the attacks. He could barely rest, trying to find the heir of Slytherin, just so he would be able to torture him slowly to death for hurting his sweet, innocent Hermione. It was only due to the fact Miss Weasley was her friend and he knew it would make her extremely sad if she died, that he didn't take revenge.

Or when she and her little friends knocked him out when he tried to save her from that werewolf, Lupin. Earlier that year, her hurt expression from when he called her an insufferable know-it-all, haunted him at nights. He had to insult her in some way, otherwise he would have just walked to her and kiss her until neither of them could breathe! That girl didn't stop taunting him with that vast knowledge of hers and her need to prove herself to him.

And the anguish he felt when that dimwit, the Krum boy, wasn't hurrying enough to save her in that stupid task (though he knew Dumbledore would never let any harm come her way) was too much to handle. And, hell, he was so jealous of him for being able to take her to the ball, dance with her, and be close to her without having to hide all the time. And having to insult her again just so he wouldn't choke Draco to death for lengthening her teeth gave him another week of sleepless nights. Why did he always have to mock her in order to remain calm? Maybe he thought belittling her would diminish the intensity of his feelings for her. It never worked, though.

And he had to make sure all the Death-Eaters knew she was there, fighting alongside Harry in her fifth and sixth year, and ensure not one of them harmed her in any way, yet won't let her know the truth.

Having constantly watched her, being so close to her, even if she didn't know it, he felt himself being drawn to her; slowly yet surely.

But he knew she could never reciprocate his feelings. He didn't even dream about it. Though he wanted it so much. Why didn't he have the right to be happy once in his life? He hated the Dark Lord for the agony he brought on him.

He felt so pitiable, so meager, so worthless for falling in love with such an unachievable target as Hermione Granger, his master's granddaughter, Harry Potter's best friend, a Gryffindor, no less, and a girl almost twenty years younger than him. Though a relationship like that would not be frowned upon in the wizarding world, she was raised as a muggle and they didn't accept it so easily, so neither would she.

And having her now in his arms was like a dream come true. He felt the same electric bolt he did the first time the Dark Lord put the spell on him. He did every time he touched her, even if it was just an occasional bumping into her in Hogwarts' corridors, which was mostly the cause for him touching her. What other excuse he had to touch her? He felt pathetic trying so desperately to be near her.

But seeing her so confused, so thrown, wrenched his heart. Especially since he knew he was a partial cause to it. He didn't want to scare her like he did, threatening to kill her. Hell he could never harm her! He wasn't sure he would be able to live if that bond were cut away from him. But the hatred that was evident in her eyes was killing him, showing him how much more unattainable she was for him. And he lashed out, taking out all the anger and frustration he felt.

She shook in his arms, and he kept rocking her and telling her it would all be alright, and that everything would seem better after she could organize her thoughts and some more empty words that were mostly meant to comfort her and also him.

He was surprised she didn't pull away. Instead she calmed down after a little bit, inhaling and exhaling heavily, sniffing from time to time. He guessed it was the bond that made her so relaxed with him.

It seemed like hours later, (but was really five minutes,) when she muttered something about wanting to go home. A very guilty Ellie showed him a vision of her house, and he apparated them both there, ignoring Hermione's objections. He laid her almost unprotesting body on her bed and watched her beautiful face as she reluctantly fell asleep. He did it many times back in Hogwarts, when he wanted to make sure she was alright. He loved watching her calm features as she slept, sometimes catching her mumbling something incoherent.

What a perverted person he was! Damn his inability to control himself around her!

Her face looked tormented now though, her brows frowned and her tear-stained cheeks slightly reddened.

And yet she was gorgeous. Gorgeous! His stunning little baby.

He loved calling her baby. His baby.

He stayed there for a while, until he saw her stirring a bit, waking up. Then he apparated back to his house before she could see him, leaving her alone.

~~~!~~~

It took her three days to reach the decision. Three days in which she talked to her parents and Ellie, who felt really guilty about the whole situation.

Her parents, it seemed, were very upset she discovered the truth. But there was no use denying it, so they apparated-yes! Apparated!- to her apartment and sat her down for the explanations.

It turned out Jane and Daniel Granger actually had magic. They kept it away from her in order to avoid telling her about her grandfather, her mother's father.

It was crazy. Really. How could they keep her in the dark all of these years?

When Hermione asked about the nature of the relationship her mom had with her grandfather Jane sighed.

"It's not so simple" she rubbed a hand over her eyes.

"Then explain it to me, please, I need to know." She asked her mother pleadingly.

She heaved another sigh but nodded. "Alright. You have the right to know."

"Are you…are you Death-Eater?" she mumbled, afraid of what the answer might be.

"No." Her father shook his head.

"You see," Her mother started, "I've always loved my father. Contrary to what people might believe of him, he loved my mother and me very much. We were very happy with him. I know it would be easier for you to accept it all if he were abusive or…was Voldemorty, but the simple truth is that he really loves us.

"He was very protective, of course, never let a guy come close to me until I went to Hogwarts when I met your father."

"But I saw no records of any Granger at Hogwarts, mom, I checked when I was there," Hermione asked, confused.

"Of course, dear, Dumbledore helped hiding all traces of us. He agreed to keep the secret, knowing it would help you be safe. Imagine what would have happened if your classmates had known that you are Voldemort's granddaughter?" her father chuckled, but it was somewhat forced.

"Dumbledore knew?" she asked, surprised.

"All the important Order members know." Jane confirmed gently.

"Like who?" Hermione needed to know.

"Well…there's McGonagall, and Moody and Lupin and the Weasley couple, and Black knew too. And Poppy, obviously since she was the one who treated you when you needed to go to a healer. We didn't want any traces of you at St. Mungo's." Her father counted on his fingers. "I think I covered them all."

"Anyway, I told no one about my father for the very same reason we kept that a secret from your schoolmates." Her mother continued "When I fell for your father, I took him to see my dad. He didn't know it was Voldemort, and I made my father promise he would behave. And he did, right after giving him 'the talk'. The poor thing." Her mother smiled at the memory.

"It was scary Hermione, really," Daniel truly laughed then "Never have the talk with Voldemort…"

"When he asked me to marry him, I had to tell him the truth." Her mother squeezed her father's hand lovingly. "Luckily for me he didn't care, because by the time he decided to marry me, he knew the father I know, the father I love so much."

"It's true." Her dad nodded his agreement "Once he lets his guards down he's really easy to like. If he doesn't go all 'Dark-Lordy' on you, he has a sense of humor, he's funny, and…I guess we sound weird to you, Hermione, but you'll never understand until you experience it yourself."

"You have to understand Hermione, he's different with us. We…I guess we never thought about it" she looked at her husband, trying to find the right words "but we divide him in our mind to two different people: Voldemort, and Tom Riddle.

"The fact we love him doesn't mean we approve of his actions, we just think of it as part of his Dark Lord part. I think it's somehow makes it okay to love the Tom Riddle part."

"Don't get us wrong, he's not all lovey-dovey." Her father hurried to explain "But we know he loves us in his own rigid way. We know it from the way he looks at your mother, from the slightly concerned expression that he gets when he hears you're not feeling well, from his protectiveness over us, from the beach house he bought for your grandmother in the US…"

"Who was my grandmother?" Hermione asked after an apprehensive silence covered the room.

"Not was, Hermione, is" her father said. "You told us Voldemort has a pet snake. Nagini, right?" Hermione nodded. "Well, dear, she's an animagus. Your grandmother is Nagini."

Her grandmother was Nagini? Now it totally sounds…stupid. Silly. Retarded. She can't be. She's just a snake. But apparently she's not. Oh god, how many more surprises were waiting for her?

"When were you planning on telling me all this?" she was a little annoyed.

"Well...when you'd be eighteen." Her mother responded "Then you'll know by yourself..."

"How?"

"You'll be eighteen in less than a week, you'll know by then." her father smiled at her.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Hermione asked, suddenly tired.

Her parents looked at each other, probably trying to decide something. "No more secrets, Jane, I think we should tell her."

"Hermione" her mother took her hands in hers "I know you hate him right now very much, but…your grandfather appointed Severus Snape as your godfather."

"What?" Hermione snapped angrily. That was too much! "When? Why? Who gave him the right to do it?" She wasn't tired anymore. She was too furious to be tired.

"He did it when you were born. He did it so Severus could protect you. He's bonded to you in some magical way…I never really understood it. It was necessary to keep you safe.

"Severus always protected you. Everyone said you were his little baby princess. That's how he always called you, his little baby princess." That's why he always called her baby! That was madness! "When you were still too little to remember, he allowed himself to be seen protecting you. I've never saw anyone protecting somebody so…so diligently. He cradled you in his arms as if you were made of porcelain…

"You know, when I couldn't get you to sleep I would call him to come. The minute he touched you you'd calm down. He used to sing you a silly lullaby he composed for you when he thought no one heard him something that started with 'Little baby princess …' I don't remember it all." Her mother smiled ruefully, humming the words with the melody.

It was like her singing unlocked some far away memory from when she was a baby. "Little baby princess, sleep don't cry. If you'll sleep I'll bake you your favorite pie." Hermione whispered the lullaby, tears flowing from her eyes. "My favorite pie is chocolate-pecans. I have this distant memory from when I was only two years old. Someone was singing me that melody, and when I woke up I saw a slice of chocolate-pecans pie. That's the last time I remember hearing that song." She looks at her mother in wonder "I didn't remember it at all until you sang it…"

Hermione closed her eyes, tears trickling freely from them. Suddenly she was tired again. There was so much of her childhood she realized she didn't know about or didn't remember.

She just wanted to sleep and forget it all.

And then she made the decision. She wanted to meet her grandparents. She wanted to see the grandfather her parents just described. And she wanted to see her grandmother.

~~~##*##~~~

Yeyyyyy! So…Hermione's voldie's granddaughter, ah?

Is it crazy or crazy?

And Savie-Poo's in love with Mione…which you could all guess was bound to happen sometime…

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!

And thanks to my amazing beta**, Christina Wynnwood**, this chapter is edited now.

I hope you can enjoy it better now.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you thank you thank you lovely fans and readers of mine! Your comment and reviews warm my heart! It's what keeps me writing when I feel like I don't wanna do it anymore!

**Chapter 6**

Ellie was a mess. The first time she met Hermione after she spilled the secret she burst into tears.

"I didn't know! I swear! I'm not a death-eater, so I only knew about this because Severus had to watch you all the time. I knew you didn't know about him, but he never told me you don't know about your grandfather either!" She didn't even stop to breathe. "I know you probably detest me right now, Mione, but I don't want you to! It was so good to finally have someone I could talk to about magic, someone my age! And I-" she didn't stop babbling.

"I don't hate you, Ellie, I'm just very, very confused." She interrupted her guilt-ridden jabbering. "I really don't know what to make of it. The man I hated most of my life is discovered to be my…" She finished with a sigh, unable to bring herself to admit it out loud. "And to discover about Harry too…I mean, what am I supposed to do? Should I tell him? Why didn't you tell him all these years? Why did you let him live thinking he had no other family other than those horrible relatives he had. Why didn't you take him after his parents were killed by Vol-oh god, Harry's gonna hate me when I tell him!" Hermione groaned suddenly, thinking of the fact her grandfather killed Harry's parents. "I wish my parents had told me about it before I went to Hogwarts! That way I would have never been Harry's friend in the first place and I wouldn't have this stupid dilemma!" Hermione put her face between her hands, tears rolling down her face.

"Would you prefer to never have Harry's friendship?" Ellie asked her softly, coming to sit in the bed next to her, her chin resting on her knees. "Even those few years you got to know him? I would give everything to be able to meet him. I have a nephew about my age and I even don't get to meet him. And it's all part of Dumbledore's scheme to keep him safe."

Hermione had to admit to herself that Ellie was right. She'll just have to cherish his friendship while she still can. In the meantime, she wouldn't tell him.

"It just doesn't add up," Hermione whined. "How could your brother kill Dumbledore?"

"I see Harry told you" Ellie's eyes were glued to the floor.

Hermione just nodded. "He tells me everything." She whispered. "I guess that's gonna change, uh?" She laughed humorlessly. Up until now, Harry trusted her with every secret he had, including the one secret she and Ellie were talking about. 

"It's complicated." Ellie replied "I don't think I'm the one who ought to explain that to you." Ellie muttered under her breath. "So what are we going to tell Maddy? She didn't understand where you disappeared to and why you freaked out on her like that…"

"We'll tell her the truth. We'll tell her that your nephew is my best friend from my previous school, and I freaked out to discover that. That way we'll make sure she won't tell him when she sees him, 'cause she probably will see him. It's sheer luck she didn't met him up until now. He apparates here quite a lot…" Hermione hugged her knees to her chest, mimicking Ellie's position. "She knows he doesn't know so she won't unveil the truth…"

"Are you going to tell him the truth about your…?"

"Eventually, yes. Right now I'm not ready. I have to first clear it all to myself. I decided I want to meet…_him_."

"Are you sure?" Ellie asked, surprised.

"No." Hermione shook her head "but I need to…"

Ellie rested her head on Hermione's shoulder in understanding. "So can we be friends again? I missed you like hell the past couple of days…" Ellie let out miserably.

"Of course we can!" Hermione laughed, this time the smile crept to her eyes too. "I missed you too, you know? I wish you had the guts to come here sooner. This talk really helped me a lot…"

"That's what friends are for, right?" Ellie shrugged.

Hermione smiled again.

"And, hey, if Harry doesn't want to be your best friend anymore, I will. I'm his aunt, so I'm the next best thing, eh?" Ellie wiggled her eyebrows at Hermione suggestively.

This time Hermione couldn't contain her laughter. "Seriously, Ellie, you are the best." She said in between fits of laughter.

"That I am, Hermione, that I am" Ellie said cockily, making Hermione snort in laughter all over again.

~~~!~~~

She could feel his arms around her, holding her still. She relaxed into his touch, feeling the fuzzy warmness all over her body, boiling in every nerve.

And then she couldn't hold herself anymore.

She crushed her lips into his hungrily, tugging tightly on his shirt. He returned the kiss eagerly, his hand traveling to the hem of her shirt, pulling it slightly up so he could roam her body with his fingers.

A tingly sensation washed over her, and she felt herself getting hotter as his hands travelled to her bra-clad breasts. He massaged her through the fabric, making her groan loudly, grabbing him closer to her if it was even possible.

Damn, he was hot!

She took the hand that was resting on the back of her neck and guided it to her burning, wet core. The things he did to her made her crazy. She was on fire!

She was getting closer to climax as he massaged her, making her moan and whimper with need.

She was about to come when she heard a persistent "Hermione" and someone shaking her shoulders.

She woke up with a jolt, panting heavily, her face hot and flushed.

Harry was there, looking at her worriedly. "Hermione, what happened?" he asked concerned "I didn't see you like that ever since…" He trailed, hanging his head down.

Oh, it was so embarrassing!

Before her fifth year, when they all resided at Grimmauld Place, Harry caught her just like that! She was in the middle of a wet dream about her Potions Master when he came to her room and saw her tossing and turning. At first, he thought she was having a nightmare, but from the horrible blush that covered he face he understood that wasn't the case.

It was then she confessed to him about her love for her Professor.

"Are you sure, Mione? It isn't just a crush?" he sighed when she finished telling him.

"I wish it had been a crush Harry, believe me. That way it would have been a lot easier." She closed her eyes in defeat.

"Why him?" he asked.

"Why do you like Cho?" she responded.

"What? I don't. That's ridiculous!"

"Is it, Harry?"

"Well I guess I told you about it myself, so there's no point denying it, so…no… it's probably isn't ridiculous …" he shook his head sheepishly, "And I get your point. We don't choose who we love, right?"

She nodded sadly. "And what's killing me the most is that there is no way he'll ever share the same feelings. I mean, you at least have a shot with Cho. She doesn't hate you. I think my mere presence irritates him."

"If it's any consolation to you, Cho probably does hate me. She probably holds me responsible for her boyfriend's death…I still have nightmares about that night, you know." He was silent for a moment. "And speaking of bad dreams, do you have those…dreams a lot?"

"No." she blushed furiously again. "It started the first day I came here." She waved her hands generally at the room. "I was about to fall asleep when I heard his voice. After that, I just couldn't sleep… I felt all…ho god, why do I tell you this?"

"Because I told you of the dream I had about Cho?" Harry smiled at her. "And probably, just like I felt when I told you about it, it's relieving some of the stress and makes you feel like you're not completely crazy."

"Yeah, right…so I was turned on by the mere sound of his voice, God, how messed up am I!" She covered her face with her hands. "Anyway…I fell asleep eventually and that was the first time I had a dream about him."

"It's getting worse every time. Isn't it?" Harry looked at her sympathetically.

"Yes. The worst are the classroom fantasies. I don't think I'll be able to look at his desk ever again without blushing."

"Well, thanks for the image, Mione, I don't think I want to go to Potions class now!" Harry said with feigned dread.

"And just when it's your favorite class, what a shame!" Hermione shook her head in mock regret.

They both laughed, and Harry started tickling her, sending her to a fit of laughter. They landed on the floor, Harry on the top of Hermione. Unfortunately, Ginny chose this moment to walk in on them. When she saw them in that position, her eyes widened and she ran out, mumbling apologies. They both started snickering again, Harry rising from her to lie besides her, his head close to hers.

"Mione?" he asked once they stopped giggling.

"Mmm?" she rested her head on his shoulder.

"We both want people who probably hate our guts. What if we'll be in love with them all of our lives? Or what if we won't be able to find anyone who wants us?"

"I can hardly see it happening for you." She snorted. "You're the bloody boy-who-lived!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know." He smiled that charming smile of his, the one that sent every girl's head reeling. Hermione wished it would do the same to her. It could solve so many problems… "But seriously, I don't want a girl who's after me only for my celebrity status so it kinda leaves me with nothing…" A thoughtful silence fell between them.

"You know what?" He suddenly shoved himself up making her hit the floor. She shot him a scowl while rubbing her head and straightening to lean against the bed, but he laughed it off. "If we're not married by the age of thirty, we'll marry each other. That way I won't get a girl who's after the fame, and…wait, you're not my best friend just for my fame, are you?"

She threw her pillow at him. "After five years of friendship you ask me that? Shame on you, Potter."

"Wow, so I'm Potter now, ah? I think Snape's starting to rub off on you already! Oof!" he let out as another pillow made its way to his head. "So, what about my proposal?" He asked her finally.

"God! You weren't serious, were you?"

"Of course I was! I don't wanna be left alone my whole life…" he said seriously.

"Um… Harry, you do realize that in order for this marriage to count in the wizarding world we'll have to…well…consummate them for lack of better words? She raised one eyebrow.

"You're smart, you'll find a way to get around it." He shrugged indifferently.

"Harry, generations upon generations of forced, arranged marriage couldn't find a way. What will we do when- and note the when, Harry- I won't find a way?"

"Then we'll just have to do it, ah?" he smirked at her, wriggling his brows.

She rolled her eyes at his childish behavior. "Fine!" She agreed eventually when he didn't stop moving his brows creepily at her. "But if that's a proposal, I want you to do it right. You are going to kneel on one knee and ask me nicely."

"What, like, now?"

"Yes, now!" she got up, stumping her foot stubbornly.

"Okay. But I don't have a ring"

"I have one!" she rummaged through her suitcase frantically. "It belonged to my mom's grandm-oh, here it is!" she showed Harry a silver ring. It was actually a silver serpent. Its head was the center of the ring and two emeralds were places as its eyes.

Harry blinked at it. "I'm not going to propose to you with something so Slytherinish."

"Well, do you have a better idea?" She asked. He shook his head. "So come on. Kneel!"

He knelt in front of her, a smile playing on his lips. "Hermione Jane Granger, you know I have always loved you. Like a sister, mind you." (She snickered at that point.) "But I loved you nonetheless. Years upon years I've wanted you to be mine," he kept saying theatrically, "Yearning for you to acknowledge my feelings for you. Now I cannot put stopper to the fountain which is my love for you…wait, Hermione, now comes the grand finale…Hermione Jane Granger, the love of my life, the apple of my eyes, the dearest thing in my world." (Now Hermione was out of breath with laughter.) "Would you be my last-resort wife?"

"Yes!" She squeaked, acting all excited, barely holding her face straight.

"Good, now let's seal it with a proper kiss!" He still looked deathly serious. Hermione tried to imitate his expression.

His lips came close to hers and they kissed. After five second they broke the kiss, giggling hysterically.

"That was gross!" Harry wiped his mouth.

"Wait till you have to have sex with me to complete our marriage!" She sniggered evilly.

"Argh!" he groaned "I'm starting to think this wasn't such a good idea…"

"Too bad, love, you're stuck with me." She stuck her tongue at him.

"I think I'm going to find myself a wife soon" he growled, raising his eyes to the ceiling, desperate.

"You're only fifteen, Harry!"

"I know! I'm already halfway to thirty!" he raised his hands in mock despair.

At that point neither of them could breathe, as they were holding their stomachs, screaming with laughter.

She went around the house with the ring for a few days just to bug Harry, who seemed to sigh every time he saw it. But then he would come to her and tease her right back by saying things like "morning dear" or "your fiancé must be filthy rich for giving you such a nice ring". Ron and Ginny would just stare at them weirdly and shrug.

One night, Hermione went to the kitchen. She was thirsty and decided to take a cup of water from the jug Mrs. Weasley placed on the kitchen's table for cases just like this. She opened the kitchen door only to find Professor Snape sitting there with Professor Lupin, both engrossed in discussion. When they heard her, they lifted their eyes to look at her.

Suddenly Hermione felt very self-conscious. She was wearing her pink pajamas with a great teddy bear that held a big red heart, and the words "Love Me Tonight" in bold white printed on it. Her matching pink shorts had many little red hearts all over them. Snape raised one eyebrow at her, and she couldn't help but blush. She looked totally ridiculous!

"I…I just came to take a cup of water." She stuttered, sticking her eyes to Lupin's face. At least with him it was less embarrassing…

"Well, get on with it, I haven't got all night!" Snape snapped at her, and she hurried to comply. She took a cup from the cupboard, and went toward the table they sat by, all the time feeling Snape staring at her. She filled the cup with water from the jug, her hands shaking a little bit as she could sense Professor Snape's gaze on her, never averting. Unluckily, some of the water spilled at the table and Hermione hastily grabbed a rag to mop it.

In a minute, Snape's warm hand grasped her shaking one, sending a bolt from her hand up her spine. "What's this?" he asked her, frowning over her ring.

God, what was she going to say? "Um…I…I…" She looked at Remus pleadingly now.

"Let her go, Severus, you're scaring her," he said with a stern tone.

But Snape didn't seem to hear him. "Where did you get this ring?" He hissed, clenching her so hard Hermione found it difficult to breathe from the electric tingle in her hand and arm. He looked at her so intently, and she couldn't look away.

"I…um…found it in my mom's drawer. Apparently it was my late great-grandmother's, or that's what the note attached to it said," she heard herself say eventually.

"You stole it?"

"I wouldn't call it…" She started, but then she saw his piercing gaze. "Yeah…I did." She looked down.

"Why?"

It was none of his business and she refused to answer! But he wouldn't stop staring at her and it was unnerving! "My parents have rings that look just like this one. I always wanted one too so… I…took it before I went to Hogwarts for the first time. I felt it somehow reminded me of them. I didn't have the guts to return it yet…"

"So your mother doesn't know you have it?" He kept investigating her like she did some kind of a terrible crime.

"No," she admitted.

"And why are you wearing it?"

"Severus." Lupin warned him again.

"Just answer my question!" He snarled at her. She let out a sob of fear and tried unsuccessfully to pull away her hand.

"It was a…deal Harry and I made. It's stupid, really. Please don't make me tell it!" She panicked, her eyes now brimming with tears.

Lupin now stood beside her, placing his hands on her shoulders, looking accusingly at Snape.

Professor Snape stood up, not leaving her hand for a minute. "Get your filthy hands from her, werewolf," he told him in a deathly quiet voice, rage filling his eyes. Lupin quickly let go, and Hermione started to freak out again. "Finish the story" He ordered, turning to look at her.

"We…we promised each other that if we won't get married by the age of thirty we'll marry each other." She whispered.

He dropped her hand as if he got burned, as he took a sharp intake of breath, his face twisting in pain.

"Hand me the ring," he commanded abruptly, all emotions disappearing from his face as quickly as they appeared there. He stretched out his palm and waited.

"You can't do it, Severus, you look like a jealous creep!" Remus was really mad at him.

"Jealousy has nothing to do with it, Lupin. It is not safe for her." That seemed to silence him. "When you're eighteen, you can come and collect it. I have no interest in keeping it with me. Now, hand it over"

"What harm can it cause? It's a muggle's item" Hermione risked the question while giving him the ring.

Snape seemed to mull it over as he shoved the ring to one of his pockets. "I can't explain it to you," he said finally, the calm tone restoring to his voice as he sat down back.

"Is it dangerous for my parents too?"

"No"

"How!"

"I said I can't explain it to you." He stated in the same annoyingly tranquil tone.

"So what, you take my dead great-grandmother ring and don't even explain it to me?" She was genuinely bewildered.

He handed her the forgotten cup of water. "Here, you came her to drink. Do it and be gone. I have to finish discussing things with Lupin."

She snatched the water from him and gulped it all at once, than she angrily strode to the sink and washed the cup, placing it to dry. When she was at the door, she turned around and looked at him hatefully one last time, before storming away from the room.

"Mione?" Harry eyed her worriedly, shaking her away from her thoughts. "Are you okay? You seemed to zone out"

"I was just thinking of the day you proposed to me." She rested her chin on her knees, looking at the floor.

"Oh, so it was a dream like _that_?" Harry dropped down next to her, hugging her shoulders to comfort her. Hermione merely nodded in tears. "Was it about _him_?" he asked. "I thought all dreams about him stopped when he…when he killed…"

"They did!" She wailed in frustration. "That's the first one I've had in months! And I hate myself so much for it…" she cried on his shoulders.

Ginny appeared at the room with a pop. When she saw Hermione's red eyes she looked concerned. "What happened?"

Hermione simply ran to her, throwing herself into her arm and crying. Ginny patted her hands and muttered calming words to her.

"She had a dream about him," Harry said eventually.

"But-"

"That's the first one since…then" He finished lamely.

Hermione told Ginny everything at her sixth year, from her dreams about Snape to Harry's proposal. She took it better that expected, considering the fact she was already Harry's girlfriend when they told her…

"You two hate me now?" Hermione said weakly after a while, wiping her face.

"Don't even think that!" Ginny said. "You are our best friend so don't let that son-of-a-bitch make you think otherwise"

Hermione suddenly laughed, "Maybe his mother's a perfectly sweet person."

"Nuh" Harry said dismissively, happy that Hermione was smiling again. "It's impossible."

"Says who?" she cocked one eyebrow.

"Says me." He said smugly.

"And why are you so sure of yourself?"

"'Cause evil runs in the family," he said confidently. Hermione thought it was funny, and it took all of her not to casually say: 'So you're evil too? 'Cuz he's your uncle you know…'

Ginny and Hermione both stared at each other, shaking their head and complaining at the awful boy they raised.

~~~##*##~~~

I enjoyed writing this chapter! Especially the Hermione-Harry parts.

My favorite part was:

"I think I'm going to find myself a wife soon" he growled, raising his eyes to the ceiling, desperate.

"You're only fifteen, Harry!"

"I know! I'm already halfway to thirty!" he raised his hands in mock despair.

I think it was hilarious, if I may say so myself….

Oh… and my possessive Sevy-Pooh! Isn't he wonderfully jealous?

And before you say anything, I know Rowling changed Hermione's name to Jean, but I don't like it!

And now to the questions for the next chapters: what is it that Harry told Hermione tat makes her think it was impossible for Sev to kill Dumblie? And what is so dangerous about the ring? That's and more, at the next chapters (*ta da da dammmmmm!*)

**What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!**

And thanks to my amazing beta, **Christina Wynnwood**, this chapter is edited now.

I hope you can enjoy it better now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Tomorrow would be September 19th, which means it was Hermione's birthday. Well, actually, "tomorrow" would start in five minutes, seeing as how the hour was 11:55 pm.

"Happy birthday to me." Hermione hummed to herself while going to the fridge to take some ice cream.

'Mmm…yummy!' she thought, as she shoved a spoonful of the delicious sweetness to her mouth.

Soon, her iPhone rang, and she put it on speaker, not wanting to leave her ice cream.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Mioneeeeeeeee! Happy birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Ginny and Harry sang in a terrible voice, which sounded even more horrible over the phone."

"Hey guys! You remembered!" she said happily.

"Of course we did, crazy-head, Harry doesn't tend to forget the birthday of his fiancé" Ginny said, chuckling.

"That wasn't cool, dude." Hermione heard Harry mutter to Ginny. Ginny just laughed at him evilly.

"Don't mind her, Mione, she's just jealous I don't have the same feelings for her as I have for you…" Harry said seriously.

"What, she's jealous you're not her best friend?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Huh!" Ginny screamed at him, still laughing. "She got you!"

"Very nice, Hermione, and just when I thought you would always be at my side." Harry sounded disappointed, but then he joined Ginny's laugh.

Suddenly, the clock on her phone turned 12:00. A mist started to form in front of Hermione. Her eyes widened with realization.

"Guys, I'll talk to you later, okay?" She mumbled, hanging up.

A ring was hanging in the air when all the fog disappeared.

Oh god, no! If that's what she thinks it is that would make her being Voldemort's granddaughter so final!

The thing was, Harry told her earlier this summer that he discovered he's an heir of Gryffindor. As the clock struck twelve on his birthday night, a ring appeared. It was in the shape of a lion with ruby eyes. The lion, strangely named Shaga, jumped out of the ring and told him he's an heir of Gryffindor, and explained him all the benefits that came with it.

He also told him that all the heirs of the rest of the founders died a long time ago, and only heirs of Gryffindor and Slytherin still existed. Voldemort, of course, was said heir, which meant, now Hermione grasped thought she didn't know it back then, that she was an heiress of Slytherin too.

And her ring came.

It looked familiar. And then it hit her. It looked just like the ring she found in her mom's drawer. It was a silver serpent with emerald eyes.

"Hello, Hermione, I'm your Lahash." Said the serpent in a feminine voice, slithering out of the ring, leaving it a plain, sliver circle.

"Lahash?" asked Hermione in confusion.

"Yes. I'm your personal instructor. I was sent to you from Salazar Slytherin himself," she said a bit proudly.

"Oh" was all Hermione said. She remembered Harry saying his Shaga was sent from Godric Gryffindor.

"I came to you because you are an heiress of Slytherin," she smiled. "I heard you've learned about it only a few days ago"

"You heard? From who?" Hermione wondered.

"From the other Lahashes of course. We all can communicate. You probably know your parents have rings like me too? All of us are called Lahash. Each heir though has his or hers own one." She explained. "Now, I have to instruct you about the privileges you have as one of the founders' heiress, and as an heiress of Slytherin. You see, Slytherins are the only heirs that were left from all the heirs of the founders."

What? But that was impossible! Harry was… so if Lahash didn't know, that means Voldemort didn't know, which means Hermione couldn't tell Lahash the explanation was unnecessary for her, since Harry told her all about it. Because if all the rings could communicate, she would expose Harry to Voldemort, and she didn't want it to happen… she'll just have to grit her teeth and listen to it all over again.

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Hermione nodded.

"Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor used to be best friends before they had the big fight that separated them from each other, and made their houses enemies for eternity.

"They both were engaged to young, nice girls, and they wanted to do something special for their wedding day. They thought hard, and together they came with the idea of the rings; the ring of Slytherin and the ring of Gryffindor. At their wedding day, each gave his bride a ring. Salazar's ring looked just like me, while Gryffindor's was a lion with ruby eyes.

"Those rings are very special. Once the brides put them on their fingers, they couldn't take them off and they were animated, just like I am. From that day on, each offspring they had got an animated replica of that ring; Slytherin's heirs-at the age of eighteen, the age of Salazar brides, and Gryffindor's heirs-at the age of seventeen, the age of Godric's bride.

"The Gryffindor lions are called Shaga and they are all males. We, the Slytherin serpents are called Lahash, and we are all females. Of course now there are only offspring of Slytherin left and until you are married and with children-you are the last of them. That's why you got me now, upon turning eighteen," she smiled kindly.

Hermione was almost a year older than Harry, so that must be the reason why they both got the rings at the same year. The minute Hermione saw the ring she wondered how could that be, but with Lahash explaining to her Slytherins go their ring at eighteen while Gryffindors at seventeen it all made sense.

"Um…so what can I do as an offspring of Slytherin?" Hermione asked, thinking she has to show some interest.

"Well, first of all, you can apparate to and from Hogwarts." Hermione remembered that when Harry told her that she didn't believe him. She was so fixed on the idea that it was impossible that she couldn't accept otherwise. It was only when Harry grabbed her hand and apparated them both to the now gloomy great hall that she was proved wrong. "That's possible because of the powerful bond the founders have with Hogwarts. From that very reason you can completely control the Summonment Of The Ghosts.

At their first year, every student of Hogwarts heard the word Summonment. It wasn't until their fifth year that they learned about it. The Summonment of the ghosts was the ability of students from a certain house to summon the ghosts of their respective house. The spell to do it was pretty complicated, and to Hermione and her friend's misfortune, Umbridge banned it because she didn't believe in giving students the power to do it.

Of course Hermione didn't wait for her and tried to learn it herself. She was sure she missed something because every time she summoned, the ghosts of Slytherin arrived too. Now she understood the reason.

"Secondly, you can talk by your thoughts to any other offspring of Slytherin. You simply have to open your Slytherin channels for them and you can talk with each other." Harry explained that part to her, though it was very confusing. He told her he couldn't understand it either, until Shaga instructed him to try and close his Gryffindor channels.

When Shaga said Gryffindor's offspring were great Occlumens Harry simply laughed at him and told him about his Occlumency lesson with his despised Professor. Shaga claimed that it was because he didn't close his Gryffindor mental channels. Harry told her that after that he tried closing them and he just knew he did, though he couldn't really describe how. Shaga told him that as long as his channels are shut, no one could try Legilimency on him. Not even Voldemort himself.

"There's also the part that you can't kill with _avada kedabra_ any other Slytherin offspring. And of course you can summon ghosts."

"You've said that already."

"No. not the Hogwarts ghosts, ghosts in general, any ghost you'd like. Actually, any dead person you'd like, even if that person didn't choose to be a ghost when they were given the choice, and even in places they've never been while they were alive."

Harry was still struggling with the idea of the ability to call the spirits. He wanted so much to call his parents, but he felt summoning them would be like cheating. Hermione agreed. What's the point of seeing a dead person and getting the illusion you can talk to them as if they're alive while actually they are…well…dead. Nothing good could come out of it; only depression and false hope.

If it hadn't been for the fact he knew his parents and his godfather waited for him to summon them, Harry would have shoved this piece of information to the back of his head and try to forget it for his own mental good. He still didn't find the courage to do so, and Hermione didn't pressure him. He would do it on his own time, and she could only hope that she or Ginny would be there to pick up his pieces.

"When an offspring gets married, his spouse turns into an offspring too. He gets a ring and gains all the abilities any offspring by blood would have." The beautiful, silver serpent was now wrapped around Hermione's hand. "That's it," she sighed. "Now you know everything…"

"Thank you" Hermione smiled at her. Suddenly she realized she was talking with her in Parseltongue the whole time. "I could never speak Parseltongue…" she whispered in astonishment.

"Well, now you can," she beamed warmly at her "and now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to the ring and let the information sink in." And with that, she was back on the ring.

Hermione sat on her bad for a long time, thinking about everything she heard.

~~~!~~~

Severus Snape smelt like sandalwoods and mint and herbs and other potion ingredients Hermione could identify if she wanted to. But she didn't. Seriously, she didn't.

It's not like she thought about the time he hugged her when she freaked out at his parents' house every night before going to sleep. And every morning before getting up. And then some more after it. And even when she drove to school or sat at calculus or biology or literature classes.

Ho, who was she kidding? She couldn't get him out of her mind. She thought she was going crazy, and the worst part was she didn't have anyone who she could talk to, because Harry was Harry and Maddy couldn't know and Ellie was his sister and…

She didn't want to feel that way so she tried denying it. She told herself it was just that her stupid heart was used to respond to him in that way, and it refused to listen to her brain which rapidly told her heart it was wrong. Especially now that he was a murderer.

But she had to talk to him, didn't she? She needed to clarify some things to herself, just like she planned to do with her grandfather.

That's why she mustered all of her bravado the next day, and she came to him after class. His smell was dizzying her and his closeness did funny things to her stomach, but finally she found her voice.

"So umm…you're my godfather." She started awkwardly.

"I am," he nodded once, looking down at her.

"And all this time you…all those awful things you said to me…you were my godfather." She still couldn't get why a person would treat people who are close to him that way. Why would he act around Harry, his own nephew, and her, his goddaughter with so much hate?

He didn't answer. He just stared at her, and it made her angry. It made her burst at him again.

"You know what?" She heated suddenly "The world's not fair! Harry suddenly discovers he has a godfather who loves him like his own son, and he's taken away from him! And when I discover I have a godfather it's you! I wish _you_ died instead of Sirius! At least Harry would have been happy! And so would I!" Why was he making her so fuming and irritated all the time?

"You don't mean that" he looked at her almost pleadingly.

"Yes I do!" she insisted "I wish you died! I wish Dumbledore or Voldemort would have killed you!" tears started to well up in her eyes at his devastated expression. "I wish you died by falling from a fucking cliff or by food poisoning or…"

With Three big strides he took her in his arms. He was looking into her eyes and saying "You don't mean that, baby, please!" He was shaking her and repeating the words again and again until her heart wrenched for him. "Take it back, please!" He begged.

It all happened so abruptly! His apparent lack of control scared her. He never lost control. That was Snape for God's sake! Her words seemed to hit him too hard, so she could do nothing but hold his tormented face between her hands and whisper, "I'm sorry, please, forgive me!"

He just pulled her to his chest and squeezed her to him until she couldn't breathe, but she couldn't care less. It felt so right. So good, and the electric shock that hit her when his hands first touched her turned into a warm buzz that hummed through her body.

Finally her breaths evened and she realized what was happening. She hated to let go but she had to. No matter what she said, he was still the dreadful man who killed Dumbledore and she still had to hate him. She just had to. It wouldn't be right otherwise.

In silence, she picked up her bag and left the class. She couldn't risk glancing at him. She knew if she'll find that broken look on his face again she wouldn't be able to leave.

~~~!~~~

Hermione was wearing her most formal robes. She waited nervously for her parents to arrive, so they all could go to meet her grandfather; to meet Voldemort.

When her parents showed up, they wasted no time, and holding her hands, they apparated her to a dark room.

Her parents walked, tugging her along with them, through corridors upon corridors. They encountered Death-Eaters every once in a while. Some of them Hermione knew, others she didn't, but she flinched every time she met them. They all acted strangely for Death-Eaters, smiling at her and her parents, greeting them, and telling her how happy they were to hear she at last learned the truth. She looks at them with a face of stone, while her mom and dad smiled in return and ushered her forward.

Finally, they halted in front of large wooden doors. At the entrance stood masked death-eaters with menacing that softened when they saw Jane and Daniel. Her parents opened the door to reveal a great room. Almost like a hall, that an enormous desk was placed in its middle. Behind it Voldemort sat, talking to a standing Severus Snape in hushed a tone.

When he saw them, the Dark Lord's face lightened up, and so did Snape's, until he noticed her and he stiffened.

"If you'll excuse me." He turned to Voldemort and hurried away after his master nodded.

"Jane" Voldemort said once the door was closed. Her mother, to Hermione's surprise, ran toward him and hugged him tightly. The snake next to Voldemort started to change, becoming a person. She resembled Jane very much, and she hugged her daughter as well.

"Your face." Jane looked at the Dark Lord critically after she stepped away from her Nagini.

"Of course," he said and all of the sudden, his face changed. The snake-like face disappeared, and, in its place, a human face formed. It was evident that in his youth he was very attractive with his dark eyes and a handsome face. He wasn't bald anymore, as a thick dark hair covered his head. Hermione remembered Harry showed her memories of Tom Riddle as he saw him from the diary. If one looked well he could see the similarities, but he aged significantly so it was almost impossible to tell he was the same person.

The Dark Lord shifted his eyes to his granddaughter. "Hermione," he said, and to Hermione's amazement his eyes twinkled. "At last" and he came toward her. She took a step back, terrified.

"Don't be scared, darling," her father encouraged her. "He won't hurt you."

Hermione stood mute and immobile, unable to say a word.

"Come here" her grandfather smiled-smiled! The bloody Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named smiled!- And Hermione wanted to cry as she felt the connection between them. If she ever doubted the truth of the situation, now she knew for sure that they were related, as she saw the ring on the hand he stretched toward her. Almost involuntarily she took his hand, and he shoved her to him, much like he did to her mother.

Her heart was beating fast as she buried her nose in his chest, feeling the power that crackled around him, hearing his heart beats fast to match hers. "I was afraid that you'd run away," he whispered to her hair, and she understood his heart was hammering in fear from her response.

She was hugging Voldemort. She was in You-Know-Who's arms. She wanted to die. Why was she still standing there?

"No," she started to back away from him. "No. you're evil. You cannot be my…you killed Harry's parents! You ordered Dumbledore's death! You're an evil creature that has no morals and deserve to die," she cried out at him.

He sighed "I knew it was too good to be true," he mumbled at her apparent flight.

"Hermione." For the first time Nagini spoke. That made Hermione stop. "Please don't run away. Please give him a chance," she pleaded.

"Why should I listen to you? You are as evil as him. You bit Mister Weasley and he almost died," Hermione asked silently. She wanted to shout but she didn't. She wouldn't lose her temper because of them. She was stronger than that.

"We don't expect you to love my parents immediately," her mother interfered. "We just want you to learn to know them. So eventually you'd like them."

"Never! I would _never_ like Voldemort!"

"We didn't ask you to, you only have to like Tom Riddle." Her father put a hand on her cheek. She fell on his shoulder crying, unable to hold herself together.

~~~!~~~

The meeting went on after Hermione eventually calmed down and agreed to dine with her grandparents. Toward the end of the meal, Hermione opened up a little bit, seeing her parents laughing and talking to Voldemort and his wife.

It's not that Voldemort was laughing. He was rigid and had a stern look on his face but he didn't have the same…Voldemort-y look about him. He wasn't hateful and spiteful and every once in a while a smile found its way to his face or he made a witty comment that caused her parents to laugh and Hermione to fight laughing.

She understood now what her father told her, that Voldemort is not all lovey-dovey, but you could see he truly loved them all by little gestures that gave him away.

Her grandmother on the other hand, was an older vision of her mother, but she had a haunted look. She was warm and smiled a lot and she laughed along with her parents. Every time she did, Voldemort looked at her wistfully, but he quickly hid it yet Hermione caught the expression.

The dinner made it a bit harder for her to hate them.

Just a tiny little bit.

~~~##*##~~~

So?

Basically this chapter was a filler. Actually it was more a chapter where I had to explained things.

I don't think it was overly boring, but not that exciting. Apart from the part when she confronted nape. Hehe… I like it when she does that ;)

Last time I got only 5 comments. Which made me super sad :(

I told you once that you're the twigs that keep my fire burning :) (Hey! Nice one I should use it sometime!) Without your reviews, guys it's very hard to writ, and that's the reason I didn't update for such a long time, although chapter 12 (!) is already written.

I can't find the energy to post it because I keep hoping someone would comment.

I really appreciate those of you that add me as their favorite authors/story or story authors/story alert. It's like saying this story is worth following, but I really wanna hear what you think.

Yep. That's how pathetic and dependent on you I am, guys, so don't let me fall! :)

Give me some love, I'm waiting for it!

Yours truly :)

And thanks to my amazing beta, **Christina Wynnwood**, this chapter is edited now.

I hope you can enjoy it better now.

**What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!**


	8. Chapter 8

First of all, thanks for my super wonderful and new beta: **Sarah Rensi**. She certainly made the story better for you, my dear readers, so I want you all to stand up and give her a loud round of applause for her good work and having to endure my endless PMs.

(*waiting a moment for you to do as I said*)

Good. Of course, every mistake you see is probably mine, so don't blame her :)

Now, because you all were such wonderful people and I got so many reviews from all of you I decided to post chapter 8 much earlier than I planned, so you see? It paid off!

No, some of you asked me questions or just wrote nice things to me so here's a few replies for you. If you don't want to read it-skip to the chapter…

**gsakamura** – I don't know… I really like Tom Riddle. I would hate seeing him getting punched. lol :)

**Kebby** - I know what you mean. I want them to fall into each other's arms and confess their undying love but I'm afraid it's not gonna be that easy for our beloved couple :(

**The-tall-girl-in-green**- yeah, I'd jump him too! lolz ;)

**DutchBaroness** - you are most correct! I wasn't trying to hide it... there would be referring to that at the following chapters.

**lionessforseverus** -lolz, no. her grandma is force into nothing. it's just from things she did...

**Lovely** **Fiasco**- thank u for taking your time to find the password! (lol) i really appreciate it and the detailed review. :)

**And all of you who reviewed- you made me so happy, I really didn't expect so much love, but you made my day and I love you very much! And keep up the good work so I'd update soon :) **

**And now, with no further ado, **

**Tadaaaaa:**

**Chapter 8**

Maddy was sitting on the sofa in Hermione's apartment, her eyes glued to the TV. Ellie was slacking next to her, and from time to time they would both look at Hermione and yelled "mahh!"

It was a stupid game they played. They were just so bored, that Maddy suggested they would have a contest to determine who says more "mahh!"s than the others. Hermione declined politely, while Ellie agreed eagerly. They made a rule though, that the "mahh!"s should come in the moment you didn't expect it most.

"You're crazy" Hermione shook her head after another startling "mahh!" She really should have gotten used to it by now but she hadn't.

"That's why you love us so much, Hermione" Maddy told her sweetly. The only appropriate and mature response was, naturally, to stick her tongue out, which Hermione did, earning her snickers and snorts of laughter from the other two.

Something buzzed in Hermione's pocket and she dug out her iPhone, seeing harry had texted her.

-hey mione! im apparating 2 yours in 5 minutes. is there a muggle in there or can i apparate str8 2 your living room?

She quickly replied that Maddy and Ellie were there. He knew who they were; he just hadn't met them yet.

She also showed Ellie the text and told Maddy Harry was on his way over. She reminded her that he doesn't know that Ellie is his aunt and to please keep it that way.

Soon her doorbell rang and. Harry and Ginny stood at her door, smiling.

"So you're the famous Harry Potter?" Maddy smiled. Now, she didn't mean it in the usual way harry heard people say it. Usually wizards and witches told him so because he was famous in the wizarding world, but Maddy heard so much about him she was simply happy to finally meet him.

"And I guess you're the famous Maddy Davis" he replied, laughing and shaking her hand.

Maddy then turned to Ginny. "Wow, you are as beautiful as Hermione said you were" she sighed, as Ginny blushed prettily. "I wish I had red hair. Ever since I've read Anne of Green Gables I've wanted red hair."

Ginny giggled, embarrassed, as Harry drew her to him saying "that's my girl", making them all laugh.

"And you must be Ellie" Ginny tried to change the subject.

Ellie didn't move the whole time. She looked at Harry with wide, moist eyes, amazed.

"Y-yes. I am" she quickly composed herself when she realized everyone was looking at her. She shook Harry and Ginny's hands formally, smiling slightly. "I'm glad to finally meet you."

"They have no idea how glad" mumbled Maddy to Hermione. Hermione had the feeling Maddy found the whole situation hilarious. She still didn't understand why Harry couldn't know about his family.

"So, how long have you been friends?" Maddy asked Harry as they all sat down on the sofas.

"Wow…ever since" he looked at Hermione, trying to think "ever since I was eleven and Hermione was, like, twelve."

"Yeah, he practically saved her life" Ginny nudged Harry lovingly. "Some kind of a gorilla went loose in our school, and almost killed Hermione. My Harry here," she nudged him again proudly, "single handedly rescued her". They decided they would talk freely about their school experience, only they would find analogies from the muggle world to fit all the magical parts. Ginny was the first to do it, and she looked rather smug.

"Wow, it sounds like a crazy school." Maddy snickered.

"You have no idea" Hermione whispered.

"Now tell me about _your_ school" Harry asked. "All I know is that you have a hot teacher, I don't even know his name. Is he really that hot?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow.

"Hell yeah!" Maddy nodded enthusiastically. "His name is Mister S" Ellie and Hermione warned her not to say his real name "and he is…" she sighed "dreamy. And he's always flirting with us, making us think we might have a chance with him, but…I don't think he really thinks about any of us in that way." she finished with a sad tone.

"Do you like him too?" Ginny asked Ellie a little irritated, since she hadn't taken her eyes off Harry's face the whole time. Hermione knew Ginny never liked it when girls inspected _her man_ as she put it.

Ellie snapped out of her daze "what? Ah...no…it would be weird if I liked him. He's my brother."

"Isn't she lucky? But if he were my brother I wouldn't even be able to dream about him so maybe I'm a little luckier" Maddy finished with a satisfied smirk.

"And what do you think about him, Hermione?" Harry wiggled his eyebrows at her "any sinful thoughts about your teacher?"

"No!" Hermione said quickly. She could feel her cheeks reddening.

"Hermione is the only girl who is immune to my brother's charm" Ellie explained.

"It's not entirely her fault" Harry grinned evilly now. "She's had a bad experience falling in love with teachers."

"Oh?" Ellie and Maddy said together, interested now.

"Harry James Potter I will kill you if you ever…"

"She fell in love with our chemistry teacher back in Scotland" he shouted above her screams. She and Ginny shot daggers at him. Hermione tried to wrestle with him, but he held her hands tightly so she couldn't punch his face.

"Oh you didn't!" Maddy said in wonder. "You, the goodie-two-shoes, fell in love with a teacher? Well you naughty, naughty girl!"

"Hermione is that true?" Ellie whispered "you were in love with your _chemistry_ teacher?" she emphasized the word chemistry, letting Hermione know she understood that by chemistry the meant Potions.

Hermione nodded in shame.

"What happened?" Maddy asked.

"Well, there was this…gang war going on." Harry said, not so jovial now, suddenly understanding how tactless telling them about Hermione infatuation was. "And that teacher killed our headmaster."

"Oh, Hermione I'm so sorry" Maddy rested her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Well, I'm not going to taunt you again about Mister S. That was probably terrible."

"Yes. It was." Hermione covered her face in her hands, absolutely mortified.

"You shouldn't have brought it up." Ginny was clearly mad at him.

"What?" he scoffed "I thought it would be funny to tease her a little. It's not like she doesn't bug me about Cho, you know."

"Boys!" she raised her hand in frustration.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't thinking." Harry apologized hurriedly due to Ginny's glare.

"Fine." Hermione said, "Now you didn't come here for a depression parade. Let's have a good time!" and at that, Hermione threw a sofa's cushion on Harry.

"Oh no you didn't!" he yelled.

"Hermione Jane Granger, if you mess with my man, you mess with me!" Ginny flung another cushion at her.

"Thanks love" Harry gave Ginny a peck on her lips, and ducked as Maddy tossed a pillow she fetched from Hermione's bedroom.

"Yay! Pillow fight!" Ellie said in a baby-like voice.

And the war was on…

~~~!~~~

"Severus" she whispered in his ears in her sweet, sweet voice. His name poured like honey from her lips and he shivered as she nibbled at his earlobe. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too" he was breathing hard now, gasping as her hands roamed his naked chest. She was his. Finally his. Though how, he didn't remember, but he couldn't care less. He had her in his arms, and she told him he loved him.

He moved to kiss her lips passionately, biting at her lower lip slightly, making her moan in pleasure.

"Say it again" he murmured against her lips.

"I love you" she cried out as he trailed kissed down her throat to her breasts. "I want you so much, Severus, please!"

His baby wanted him. Who was he to deny her? "Shhh, I'm all yours, babe, you can have me whenever you want"

"I want you now!" she tugged at his pants desperate, "all of you, now!"

"Hermione" he growled as he woke up with a start.

Isn't it pathetic? He was having dreams about his goddaughter; inappropriate ones, no less. It became worse ever since she moved here.

This town was his retreat, his haven. Here he could pretend to forget her. In this school, full of girls that somehow wanted him; he could delude himself that he was actually attractive. That there was a way she would want him half as much as he wanted her.

The students winked and flirted and batted their eyelashes at him, and he welcomed their attention, even encouraged it. He almost felt bad for deceiving them, but he couldn't stop. He needed their admiration, their yearning looks, that stood in stark contrast to the hatful, disgusted stares he would get at Hogwarts.

And now she conquered the only place he could run away from her. It was almost as if their bond was pulling her towards him, not letting them be apart. Oh, how he wanted to be away from her, especially now that she hated him so much for killing Dumbledore. The old, inconsiderate, infuriating fool; He hated him more and more each day. He wished now he had made his death more painful, just to pay him ahead.

He got up from his bed, frustrated and tired, and took a cold shower, washing away the lust and weariness.

God he hated Thursdays, yet he loved them more than any other day. It was the day he got to spend time with his baby princess after class.

As he arrived to school a flock of giggling girl greeted him as usual. "Morning Mister S" one of them squealed licking her lips.

"Good morning, Stacy, honey" he replied laconically.

"Did you sleep well?" another one inquired, rolling a blond lock on her finger.

"No I didn't" he snapped grumpily.

"I told you, you needed me in your bed" she whined.

"Maybe I do, and maybe I need someone else," he said playfully.

"Ewe! Severus! I'm really not in the mood to hear those girls trying to seduce you!" He turned around to see Ellie standing there with Maddy and Hermione. His heart skipped a beat as memories of his dreams flooded to his mind.

"Maybe you wanted _me_ in your bad" Maddy suggested, ignoring Ellie's scowl.

"Maddy, darling, so good to see you" he stubbornly fixed his eyes on her, avoiding the girl she stood next to. He couldn't stand to look at the little, beautiful, torment of his life. "My day just became brighter"

He loved Maddy. He really did. She was Ellie's best friend since kindergarten. She was always around, and they enjoyed teasing each other, though they both knew nothing could happen between them. It would be too weird.

"Oh, Sev, you know I'm all yours, but we'll have to keep our affair a secret. Jake would be so jealous…though I'm sure at the end neither of us would be able to stand hiding our true feelings and we'd declare our love to the world" she finished mischievously.

"Or we could elope" he suggested nonchalantly, causing the girls around him to groan in envy.

The bell rang, and they all hurried to their respective classes. Severus couldn't hold himself anymore and he risked a quick glance at Hermione. Unfortunately, she chose that exact moment to raise her eyes from the floor. She gave him one look filled with grief and turned on her heels to her class. He could barely stop himself from running after her. After all, he had a class to teach.

The end of the day couldn't come quick enough, and when it finally did Severus dreaded it. Hermione stayed after all her friends left, and came forward, positioning a chair at the other side of his large desk, facing him.

She started to silently fill out the test he placed in front of her. When she finished she handed it to him, and started to organize her things. She stopped, almost reluctantly. "Why did you agree to become my godfather?" she asked him, and he could see she struggled with herself.

"Because I had to" he stated simply. "Your grandfather wouldn't take no for an answer"

"Don't call him my grandfather." she said firmly.

"I thought you opened up to him" he raised is eyebrow. The Dark Lord had said so himself when Snape carefully asked him about their meeting.

"Well, you thought wrong" she retorted hotly.

"You know, he really cares about you" he tried to convince her. He, as her godfather, was one of the only people who got to see that side of him. The side of him that couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt or even having a mild case of flu.

"Voldemort cares about nothing! He loves no one! Dumbledore said-" she halted, flinching at the mention of his name.

He wanted to revive the idiotic coot so he could choke him again for causing this mess! "Dumbledore was an old fool who filled your heads with nonsense just so he could twist you around for his own personal gain!" he lashed out at her.

"Shut up! You have no right to talk about him! You killed him you monster!" Hermione was shouting at him now, and he just wanted to set her right, to show her how wrong she was!

"Dumbledore fed you with lies. He told you no harm can come with saying the Dark Lord's name. Did he mention that fact that every time you say his name he can sense it? And if you say it enough times he can know your exact location? He didn't, did he?" he rubbed his eyes with his hand, frustrated.

"He hoped to plant false confidence in Potter, so he wouldn't be scared to stand up to your grandfather. And did you ever stop to think why he let your best friend march all alone to a room where a Quirrell waited with the Philosopher's Stone? Or to a chamber where Tom Riddle was waiting for him with a basilisk? Did it ever occur to you that the almighty Dumbledore knew what Potter was going through yet he let him do it all alone just so he might take care of his problems for him?

"And these are only small examples of his controlling ways, I'm sure if you put your head to it you'd be able to come up with a lot more. But you never thought about him like that. People always assume he was such a saint when the truth is that he was just a manipulative, devious person" he stopped to breathe, looking at her startled expression.

"You're lying" she said simply, shaking her head as if she didn't just shattered his world, took her things and was gone.

Severus stood there dumbfounded, thinking what the hell just happened

~~~!~~~

-b at mine in 10 minutes. we r going 4 dinner at ellie's, Maddy texted her. Hermione unwillingly agreed. She didn't think she could face Snape. Not today, not after what he said.

And she also couldn't take the way he and Maddy were talking to each other. She was honest enough with herself to admit she was jealous, although she knew it was stupid. Maddy made it very clear nothing was going on between them; they were just having some fun.

Sighing, she took her car keys, and went to fetch Maddy. It was probably going to be one very unpleasant dinner.

~~~##*##~~~

So? Snape, in this chapter, was the voice of reason. I hate Dumbledore, and I hope u share those feelings too!

Oh, and poor Severus and Hermione… it took all of my self-control not to let them kiss in this chapter…. I thought it would be too soon…

So I settled for a hot dream instead…hehe (*smirking evilly*)

So you know already I love u all and want you to read and review, right? Right….

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!


	9. Chapter 9

**Random facts you don't know about me:**

**I didn't see both HP seventh movies.**

**I didn't read the seventh book-all the things I know about it is just from friends and family.**

**I did both 1 and 2 because I hate Rowling for killing my Sev so I'm not going to ever see the movies or read the book.**

**I cried and isolated myself for a week when my friend called me the day HP 7 came out and told me Snape died in it.**

Now: thanks for my super wonderful and amazing beta:** Sarah Rensi **who I'm afraid I really hurt but still hope she likes me because I couldn't do without her lovely beta-ing!

**Now, for some answers to my reviewers:**

**Kebby**- no. it's not what making them fall for each other. I'll explain it better in chapter 14

**Lovely Fiasco- **I hate Dumbledore too. As I said above, I didn't read the seventh book, though I heard rumors so...but I always hated Dumbledore. he's just too fake and uses everyone like puppets!

**HughSoSexy**- Snape is an heir of Gryffindor, but he's a Slytherin. So what? The sorting hat didn't make any mistakes. Snape's attributes are all Slytherinish, regardless to his legacy :). And BTW, thanks for the detailed reviews! And sorry you ruined yourself the surprise, but you're in for some more, so have fun!

**Chapter 9**

They were at Ellie's house…well, mansion, eating the long-promised dinner Maddy practically forced Hermione into.

To Hermione's dismay Professor Snape was there as well as Draco Malfoy. Tobias Snape however wasn't present since he was visiting friends. She understood why Malfoy was there; he was probably hiding from his master after his failure in his mission like the coward he was. Although she didn't understand why Snape…well, a particular Snape had to be there. He was thirty-something for Merlin's sake, why would he eat at his parents'?

The get-together was tense and it took all Hermione's willpower not to avada kedavra Malfoy on the spot. He, on the other hand, smirked and acted, to Maddy's benefit of course, as if he didn't know her, kissing her hand gentlemanly and politely.

She wanted to wash her hand; Repeatedly.

With Snape, though, it was different. She didn't look at him at all. She couldn't. Not after the talk they had.

"So…you probably were thrilled to hear that Hermione's best friend is your mysterious Harry." Maddy shoved a forkful of pasta to her mouth.

"Mmm…" came the noncommittal mumbling from around the table.

"You know, he's a really cool guy." Maddy continued, unaware to the strained atmosphere. "Ellie and I had lots of fun with him and his girlfriend. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be; what with hiding the truth from him and all…"

"How nice…" said Eileen over-cheerfully.

"It was! I think you should meet him, Drake; he's like your black-haired twin or something. I'm sure you'd be best friends in no time!"

"I bet." Malfoy laughed, though the sarcasm was lost on Maddy.

"Yes, and guess what, Sev. Apparently Hermione's hatred toward you is not personal."

"It isn't?" he raised an eyebrow at Maddy.

"Nope." She said with a smile. "When I told Harry how much she hated you, he told me that at her boarding school in Scotland she was deeply in love with her chemistry teacher."

"It was more of a meaningless crush, Maddy" Ellie tried to interfere in a small voice.

"Nuh, Harry specifically said she was head over heels for that teacher, weren't you Mione?"

Hermione couldn't answer. She couldn't talk, or move, or even breathe. She sat rooted to her place, looking at Snape with pure horror. She internally cursed Maddy and her big mouth. There was no way Snape wouldn't understand that chemistry was their non-muggle analogy for Potions, was there?

"Don't be embarrassed, we were all in love with one of our teachers at one point in our life. Anyway, Sev, turned out that teacher of hers was a back-stabber. He killed their headmaster because he was from another gang or something like that…so that's, according to my theory, the reason Hermione hates you." She finished triumphantly.

Snape's eyes were locked with hers. She was fixed to her seat, unable to avert her eyes from him. "Is that true? Were you in love with your teacher?" he asked quietly.

"No" she answered weakly.

"Hermione why are you lying to him? He really doesn't deserve that treatment from you, you know." Maddy was stubbornly trying to make Snape feel comfortable in Hermione's unpleasant presence. "He's done nothing but try to be nice to you. Don't you think you at least owe him an explanation for your behavior toward-"

"Shut up Maddy" Ellie nudged her with an elbow, desperate now.

"I'm only trying to help" she said, hurt. "She sulks around him for a reason he cannot control!"

"Were you in love with your chemistry teacher?" he asked again, more penetratingly this time.

"Yes" her voice broke as she answered him, unable to stand his gaze.

"And now you hate him." he stated in a soft tone that Hermione didn't recognize.

"As intensely as I loved him." she said voice cracking with every word.

"There is no need to bring that matter up now, why won't we go back to our cheery selves?" Eileen said trying to lighten the air.

They kept eating in silence, when suddenly Malfoy snorted "from another gang…" he muttered under his breath.

Hermione was shooting daggers at him now. "You know, Draco, at that school of mine, there was a worthless shit of a student, who let that other gang in; allowing the son of a beach to kill our headmaster. The weakling then ran away, and went into hiding. But if I could see him, I'd tell him to run and hide. There isn't a place far enough for him, for I'm going to find him and personally kill him." She finished, rising from the table, letting her fork fall, making a ringing noise. "Thank you for the dinner, Mrs. Snape, it was lovely." She fled the room, not trusting herself to be in this house anymore.

"Hermione!" Ellie ran after her. "Please don't leave! I'm sorry about what Draco said. Please!"

"I can't!" tears strolled freely down her face now. "I'm not sure I won't kill your boyfriend or brother, and I really just want to get away from him. I can't bear to be near either of them. I just want to curl up in my bad and…"

"I'm sorry, please, just…argh! Why is Maddy so tactless? Can't she take a hint?"

"Don't blame her. She really is trying to make things better. It's not her fault she only makes things worst!"

"Hermione!" it was Maddy now "please don't go! Was it something I said? I'm sure Drake didn't mean to be disrespectful to your grief… he's just a bit stressed out now over something with his parents…please come back or he would feel terrible. He's a really nice guy who wouldn't hurt a fly!" she rambled guiltily.

The whole situation seemed so surreal to Hermione, and with combination with what Maddy, unaware of their history, said, and all the stress she was going through, she simply laughed.

Maddy looked puzzled, and eventually she dragged Hermione back to the dining room, where they finished dinner in awkward silence.

~~~!~~~

"Please take your seats" Severus ordered the minute he entered his classroom.

"Are you okay, Mister S?" one of his more clinging students asked, her eyelashes fluttering quicker than a butterfly's wings.

No he was not okay! It was Thursday again, and it was only yesterday at dinner that he found out His Hermione hated him. Not that he didn't know that before, but he discovered she used to be in love with him, and now he missed his opportunity, forever.

"Why wouldn't I be" he asked bitterly. "I'm just super. Now take out your books and start reading from where we left. If you have any questions I'm here" he said, sitting heavily in his desk.

"What, like…read alone?" another student asked "we never did anything like that."

"So start now!" he snapped at them. For the first time in all his years as a teacher here, at Greenmeadow high, he acted like Professor Snape. The whole day he walked the corridors of the school like a grey cloud. He didn't flirt once with any of his students, he didn't smile and he gave more punishments than he gave on a bad day at Hogwarts. His student didn't understand what came over him. Even his homework assignment for his students was Hogwarts-like.

"I want to see a paper about what you read for our next lesson. It has to be at least six pages long. No excuses." He shot instructions. To his annoyance, Hermione was smiling widely at the back of the class, and he couldn't see why.

"But how are we supposed to do it? In our book there are only two pages about the topic, where would we find-"

"I trust you are not deprived of the internet, Sam, run a search" he interrupted him. "Now be gone. All of you" he barked, and they all filed out hurriedly, concerned and bewildered.

"What?" he snarled as he saw Hermione approaching to his desk. All he wanted to do was to wallow in his misery, but the source of it was coming to further torment him, no doubt.

"It's Thursday. I'm supposed to take a test."

A tingly sensation ran through his dark-marked arm. His master was calling him. What a great timing!

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but I don't think you can take the test now. I am being summoned." he held his arm in his other hand.

"So I will have to take it next week?" she asked, disappointed. "Can't I... can't I take the test at home? I'll hand it over to you next week." she quickly promised undoubtedly not wanting to be at his presence a day more than necessary.

"No, but you can take it and bring it to me this evening." He was starting to feel uncomfortable sensation in his arm by now. Usually, his master didn't inflict pain upon him when he summoned him; not like he did with the other death-eaters, due to his high rank and closeness to his master. Although now, when he failed to show, the Dark Lord started to slowly cause some pain. "Ask Ellie for the address. Now if you'll excuse me, your grandfather's becoming persistent" and with that, he disapparated.

~~~!~~~

She knocked a few times at the door, her heart in her throat. She was facing Severus Snape's apartment now. She wanted to run away before he'd be able to open the door. She didn't understand why she hadn't thought about leaving the test in his mailbox, but it was too late, since the door swung open almost as soon as she knocked.

"Come in" he motioned for her to enter, scattering every hope she had to hand him the test and escape.

Hermione entered hesitantly. She scanned the apartment as he led her to what apparently was his study. Tons of books adorned the walls of it, and Hermione's breath was taken away with the sight. How she would love to go through each and every one of them! To her surprise, she discovered there a few pictures of her. Some of him holding her baby form, and some of her in recent years, mostly cut out of newspapers or duplicates of photos she recognized from her parent's house.

He still seemed to be in the same foul mood he had been in earlier, but it looked like he was trying to be civil. He took a folder from one of his drawers, and placed her test carefully there. Then he took from the same folder a paper handing it over to her.

"That's your test from last week." She swiftly snatched it from his fingers, eagerly skimming the pages for the grade.

98%, in a blood red pen was mocking her. What did he take the two points for?

"I'm sorry, sir, but I did explain it." she said, referring to the explanation that was neatly written next to the question he deducted the points from.

"No you did not. I believe I can read." his anger was back in an instant.

"Really, professor, here it is, I clearly stated that-"

"If I decided to take those points it probably wasn't as clear as you think it was."

"It's not the first time you've deducted points just for the sake of it. It's as if you do it just to spite me! What did I do to you?" her face was red with anger and she couldn't seem to control herself.

"Do I detect an accusation, Miss Granger?" he asked in a dangerously low and calm voice.

"You most certainly do sir!" she wanted nothing more than to punch him as he advanced, doubtlessly trying to intimidate her by looming over her "you keep pushing me, trying to piss me off in purpose, trying my patience, driving me to the edge of my self-control calling me pet names as if I were your own to-"

"Mine!" he roared possessively at her before he crashed his lips to hers hungrily, brutally.

Hermione's mind froze, her senses becoming numb from the breath-taking kiss. It was as if he was trying to shove her as closely to him as possible, as she found herself flinging her arms around his neck, pulling him close. She was tugging at his hair, playing with it, not wanting the kiss to ever end. His tongue was battling hers; when the hell did she grant it permission to enter? It was making her loose her sanity, and her knees buckled, giving away.

'I'm kissing Severus Snape.' She thought as she wrapped her legs around his waist, knowing she'd fall otherwise.

Was it a dream? Another one of her desire-filled fantasies that left her yearning and empty? Was she going to wake up frustrated again?

God, he felt so good!

Eventually Snape pulled away just a little bit to enable them both to fill their deprived lungs with air. Their foreheads were resting against each other, both breathing heavily.

Suddenly, Hermione realized the situation she was in. She quickly untangled herself from his torso, and without looking back she ran away from his house.

What was she thinking kissing her teacher with such abandon, so wantonly? Was she crazy? Did she lose her mind? He was a murderer! She shouldn't have…no, couldn't have let herself participate in such...sheer madness!

She was driving blindingly to her apartment, and thankfully she didn't run anyone over. Not even realizing when she unlocked her door and drifted to her room. She dropped to her bed and started to cry in pain.

She was a fool; a fool for giving into him; a fool for giving in to her feelings; a fool for kissing him.

And for the first time since Dumbledore's death she admitted to herself that she was also a fool for so burningly being in love with him.

~~~##*##~~~

Finally a kiss**! Lovely Fiasco**, you must be thrilled!

Though Hermione didn't take it so nicely, did she now? I don't know what she was thinking to herself. I mean, hello! Sev's kissing you! Shut up and kiss him some more!

Oooooh… and I liked how Maddy tactlessly told Snape Hermione used to love him…

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys, remember me? No? Well, read my fic again and you'll remember what's going on. :)

I'm SO SORRY I didn't update sooner! I had some difficulties with finding a beta reader (the previous one had some difficulties so she couldn't continue beta this fic) so now I want to introduce you to the amazing person how dared to beta this story: **Christina Wynnwood** (go read her works!). I want you all to worship her.

(*pause for worshipping*)

Good. Now I want to thank you all for not giving up on me and reviewing- please keep them coming!

And now, for some of your reviews:

**HughSoSexy**- don't be sorry the review's long. Detailed and long reviews are my favorite! I love the fact you write your thoughts during the chapter. It's wonderful, keep doing that please! :)

**Kleines**- I didn't say Dumbledore was totally wrong in every word he said, I just said he sometimes…messes with the truth. It's usually to suit his current need.

**Dopplegranger**- thanks for the cookies! (lol) I hope you'll find this chapter exciting enough :) and I know. I'd totally wanted to tell her to stop overthinking and just kiss him, but she wouldn't listen!

Severusgrissom- I give you my blessing to marry this fic, as long as I get an invitation :) lolz. You're funny :)

That's it for now…

**Chapter 10**

Hermione woke up with a searing headache. Her eyes were burning and her throat was soar. She had no idea why until the realization hit her.

She had kissed Severus Snape last night.

She had kissed him and then cried herself to sleep. What was she going to do? How would she be able to face him?

Her iPhone went off, all thoughts about sleep flying from her mind.

"Morning Mione" it was Ellie, cheerful as ever. "How are you this lovely morning?"

"Not good" Hermione brushed her fingers through her hair "Do you think you can Apparate here? I could really use someone to talk to…"

The moment Ellie popped to Hermione's apartment, Hermione threw herself into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. It was as if the stream of tears from last night was reopened.

"What happened?" Ellie looked baffled.

"I... I need you right now as a friend, not as Severus Snape's sister" she murmured into her shoulder.

"O…okay, what's wrong?"

"I kissed him…" she buried her head deeper in her shoulders trying to make herself disappear.

"Who?" Ellie asked perplexed.

"Professor Snape." She answered in a tiny voice.

"You kissed him?"

"Yes, well…actually he kissed me first, but I couldn't…I think in spite of what I said, I'm still in love with him. And I'm so confused and ashamed and...Damn it Ellie he's so…so…" and she was sobbing all over again.

"Hush now, Hermione, you don't have to cry. I'm here." She patted her back helplessly, trying to comfort her. "Now, why don't you start from the beginning?"

~~~!~~~

The following days were a living hell for Hermione. She dreaded her chemistry lessons, and when the first one arrived, she simply buried herself in her book and didn't raise her eyes from the floor. She was most terrified of Thursday, when she would have to be alone with him in the quiet, secluded classroom.

Like every unpleasant thing, Thursday came too quickly for her liking, and she found herself shaking as she gathered her stuff.

"The worst timing, as always," she heard Snape mutter as he clutched his arm. She instantly understood that her grandfather called him. Again.

"I'll leave the test in your mailbox." She hurriedly said as she snatched the test from the desk, practically running away from the classroom.

Later that evening she dropped the test in his mailbox hastily, fleeing with her car so fast she thought it was a miracle she made it home in one piece.

Come Monday, he placed the graded test on her desk. To her annoyance she got 97%, and again, for a false reason. She wanted to confront him, but he was out of the class before the bell even finished ringing.

Oh, how she loathed this man. She loathed everything about him; the way he teased her, his antagonizing grading, the way her heart quickened at the mere mention of his name and the fact she loved him so much it almost hurt her.

Now that she admitted to herself she was still in love with him, her feelings seemed to intensify and it was making her restless. She didn't have a decent night's sleep ever since their kiss, and all she could do was mull it over at how wonderful and amazing it felt to her.

She had to resist the urge not to smack him when he flirted with other students, and she wanted to wring the necks of those giggly, shameless girls who threw themselves on him.

Their kiss kept playing in her head, and the one word he told her, with all its urgent and desire, was echoing in her mind, making her shiver down the spine.

_'Mine!'_

His.

Forever.

If only she could…

~~~!~~~

Maddy and Ellie talked Hermione into coming to spend her Sunday in the Snape's mansion. They claimed it would be "super fun". Ellie promised her Draco would stay away from them, and that Snape wasn't supposed to be there.

And then, there she was, sitting under a tree in the big forest that surrounded the estate, a book from the vast library they had resting on the grass beside her, forgotten. Maddy was sitting next to her, her eyes closed, just like Hermione's.

"Okay, so I brought the drinks; you can open your eyes." Ellie said, sitting on the grass between Hermione and Maddy, forming a small circle.

"Why did we have to close our eyes?" Maddy asked curiously.

"You didn't." Ellie shrugged. "It was really funny seeing you sitting here, closing your eyes for no reason, though." She sniggered evilly.

"Well you little-" Hermione started, but was compelled to join the snorts of laughter of Maddy and Ellie.

"Fine," Hermione said finally. "Now are we going to play 'I've never' or not?"

"Yep, we are. With orange juice, no less… it's sour-sweet like a real drink, but without the other unpleasant aftereffects like a hangover" Ellie handed every one of them a glass and place the orange juice bottle in the middle.

"I'll start!" Maddy jumped "I've never… I've never kissed a guy in the girls' bathroom"

"Does my en-suite qualify as a girls' bathroom?" asked Ellie innocently.

"Ooh, I bet Draco got more than just a kiss in your en-suite" Maddy teased.

"No comment!" Ellie raised her nose up in the air, "so should I drink or not?" she asked them again.

"Yes!" Hermione and Maddy answered in union, giggling. Ellie gulped down the juice, much like one would do with tequila shots, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"Well, now it's my turn!" she announced. "I've never been to Disneyland."

"Hey, you're no game! There's nothing juicy about it!" Hermione protested as she drank her glass, trying to imitate Ellie's drinking style but failing miserably. Some juice spilled down her chin, as she snorted in the middle of her supposedly expert shot-like drinking.

"You're lucky I brought some napkins!" Ellie handed her some in between laughter.

"Okay, so I guess it's my turn, and I'm not going to be a sissy like you, Ellie, I've never had sex in my life!" she declared bravely, folding her arms on her chest with pride.

Both girls looked at her, blinking rapidly. After a few surprised moments they drank their juice.

"In fact" Maddy said, filling another glass after she finished her first one "I've had so much sex I think I have to drink twice!"

"Cheers!" Ellie clinked her glass with Maddy's, drinking again as well for the same reason.

"You guys are so…wrong" Hermione shook her head in mock despair.

"No, Hermione, you are so jealous" Maddy contradicted her.

"I am so not! I'm saving myself for someone who I really think I'm gonna spend my life with!"

"Well, I know I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with Draco, so I have no problems there." Ellie smiled smugly.

"I'm not so sure about Jake, but, hey, it's good, so why not to some have fun?" Maddy wiggled her brows.

"Shut up, Maddy, it's your turn." Hermione punched her playfully on her shoulder.

"Yeah yeah, I've never…had a wet dream."

Hermione's eyes widened as she swallowed her juice nervously.

"You didn't!" Maddy cried out disbelievingly. Hermione nodded in shame. "Well no wonder! You're not getting any, so your subconscious is trying to deliver the goods all by itself!"

"Maddy!" Hermione exclaimed uneasily. They just snickered at her.

"I've never kissed a teacher" Ellie said, amusement dancing in her eyes "Is that naughty enough for you, Mione?"

"Of course you didn't, the only teacher worth kissing is your bro-Hermione?" Maddy's eyes became the size of tennis balls, as she saw Hermione swearing to herself and drinking. Ellie just smirked at her.

"It's really not funny, Ellie, I'm not telling you anything ever!"

"You told her and you didn't tell me? Who is it? Is it that gangster teacher from Scotland?"

"It was the only teacher worth kissing; my brother" Ellie was still smirking.

"Sev? Hermione, you kissed Sev?" she jumped up, drawing Hermione with her, "Well how was it? You're the first one who ever got to kiss him!"

"It was due to a momentary lapse of reason. I assure you it is never going to happen again!" Hermione promised to herself more than to Maddy.

"But…but how did it happen?"

Ellie launched to the details of the story, while Hermione, now sitting again, was sulking and muttering.

"Wow, Hermione, I am so jealous of you. I would sell you all my sex for a kiss with him." She sighed dreamily.

"Well, I'm not interested in the least neither in that kiss nor in your sex, so for all that I care you can have them both. And I'm warning you, if you're going to say one word about it to Mister Snape I'm going to kill you!" she threatened.

"Fine! I won't say a word! Now tell me how it felt."

"Argh!" Hermione got up gain, screaming in frustration, and forgetting about the book she meant to read, she went deeper into the forest.

~~~!~~~

Darkness descended upon the already dim forest, and Hermione was starting to shiver from coldness. She was bloody lost! She knew she should have used magic to Apparate to the manor itself, but for some stupid reason she couldn't Apparate. She assumed it was some defense mechanism the estate had.

She was tired and dirty, her clothes were torn, and she cursed herself for running away like that, not knowing her way back.

Her stomach growled in protest, reminding her she was supposed to have dinner hours ago. Tears strained her cheeks, as she blindingly roamed the trees, falling and stumbling aimlessly.

"Hermione!" she heard shouts from afar after what seemed like hours.

"I'm here!" she shouted back "Please! Help!"

Some more shouting back and forth later she heard rustling from behind her, and there stood Draco Malfoy. Strangely, his face seemed worried. "Thank Merlin I've found you!" he hurried toward her.

"Stay the hell away from me!" she said without thinking.

"Hermione, you really need to get back there. This forest is not safe; it has wild animals to keep intruders away." He came closer to her with each step back she took.

"No! I rather be eaten alive than to be anywhere near y-"

A howl came from somewhere behind Malfoy, and without thinking, Hermione screamed, clutching his arm in fear.

"Damn it! And we can't even use magic here!"

"Don't you think I know it, Malfoy?" she snapped back at him, still holding his arm tightly as a scary looking wolf came closer to them "I couldn't magic fire for the life of me!"

"Well, it's not my fault only a Snape's magic can work in this forest!" he retorted rubbing his forehead, frustrated. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. _You_ are going to try climbing this tree," he pointed at her, "while _I_ will try to distract the wolf." He gave the nearing beast a grim look.

"But it can kill you! You are defenseless!" she was hysteric now.

"It doesn't matter. If anything happened to you I'd be dead anyway. Your grandfather would kill me and then Severus would abuse my body. Now go!"

"No! I'm not leaving you here. Climb the tree with me and stop trying to be needlessly, stupidly heroic!" she pulled at his hand, dragging him to a climbable looking tree. She hated him, but she didn't think she could watch the wolf tearing him down. Besides, she knew Ellie's grief would be unbearable.

They both tried to climb the thick trunk, while Malfoy beat back the approaching wolf with a broken branch he found. Eventually, and after a lot of missed heartbeats, they sat on one of the tree's branches, panting.

"Well, I guess you kinda saved my life from my own thoughtless plan" Malfoy admitted in a low voice, ignoring the snarling wolf beneath him.

"And you were willing to relinquish your life for mine. Why?" she asked, amazed.

"Well, I told you, I wouldn't live long enough to see tomorrow's dawn if anything happened to you when I was there to stop it."

"Yes but... You could always say there was nothing you could do without even magic …don't you hate me enough to do that?"

"I don't hate you, Hermione" he groaned annoyed. "I never did. I had to show as if I do. You couldn't know we all liked you, could you?"

"Who is all?" she inquired, confused.

"All of us Slytherins. You are our princess after all. We all had to pretend to hate you, because you were not supposed to know you are our princess. Of course it became worse since you insisted on being Potter's friend."

"Your princess?" she was astonished.

He chuckled "I forgot you don't know about that. That's how we all call you, Slytherins and Death-Eaters. It's Severus' fault, really. He started it, or so my father told me, and ever since then we call you that…"

"The Death-Eaters call me their princess?"

"Yeah…strange, right?" he was grinning.

"I…I guess…It's very undeath-eaterly" she nodded, smiling slightly. "So…what do we do now?"

"Now we wait till Eileen informs Severus of your absence. Or for him to feel it on his own."

"Why can't she come and fetch us? Or Ellie? They are Snapes too."

"Because Severus can find you faster than any of them."

"How come?"

"I don't know. He always knows where you are, or when you are in danger."

"Then why he didn't come to rescue me from this damn forest?" she asked frustrated.

"Maybe you weren't in a real danger when you were with me." He gave her one of his dazzling smiles.

"Harry would never believe me" she mumbled under her breath, while whacking Malfoy's arm.

"Ouch, what was that for?" he feigned hurt.

"Because I'm starting to like you and I don't think it's natural that I would like you after an hour on a tree!"

"You liked Harry after two minutes in a bathroom! And there was a troll there!"

"But he saved my life" she pointed out.

"So did I." he raised his finger up in the air. "Admit it, Granger, you could never resist me. I knew it from the minute you slapped me in our third year. It's like how guys pull the braid of the girl they like." He smirked arrogantly at her.

"Ha-ha! Very funny, I'm peeing my pants." She smacked him again.

"Hermione?" a worried familiar voice came from underneath them, followed by a whine from the wolf that hurriedly skittered away.

"We are here, Severus." Malfoy answered "Is it safe to go down?"

"Yes, the wolf is gone." He reassured them.

Malfoy helped her down the tree, and Severus quickly hurled her to his arms. "Are you okay?" he asked her concerned.

"I'm fine!" she extracted herself from his embrace, as difficult as it was. "Now get us out of here!"

He looked upset and offended, but he held her and Draco's hands and Apparated them to the mansion.

They were inside of a room that had the strong, alluring scent of Severus Snape, causing Hermione's head to spin a little. He led them out and to the living room, where they were greeted by tearful Eileen, Maddy and Ellie.

"You stupid, inconsiderate fool!" Ellie shouted, running to her boyfriend's arms. "How dare you run to those woods defenseless? You could have died! What would I do then? You know you can't leave me alone; you are my rock of serenity! I can't live without you" she was crying uncontrollably, kissing and slapping his face simultaneously.

He caressed her back soothingly, telling her it was alright, and that he had to save Hermione, or he would never be able to live with the consequences.

Maddy just looked frightened to death and asked Hermione's forgiveness. She repeatedly promised she would never tease her again about anything and only relaxed when Hermione swore she did nothing wrong and it wasn't her fault.

That night Hermione went to sleep, her mind reeling with thoughts about what Malfoy told her. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was Snape's warm arms enveloping her, her cheeks pressed against his chest, hearing his heart beat loudly with anxiety.

~~~##*##~~~

Nam nam nam….

Sorry for all of you who hoped Hermione and Snape would run to each other's arm and make-out, now that they kissed. Just try to think, if you were in her situation, would you kiss a murderer?

Malfoy and Hermione start to bond…they're gonna be best friends in no time, if I have any say in the matter... ho wait, I do have a say! Haha!

And Snape avoids Hermione quite professionally, though not for long ;) *evil smirk*

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!


	11. Chapter 11

Hey lovely readers of mine!

First of all, it was my B-day today! I know, I'm a nerd. I mean, who's being born on September the 1st, right? Nevermind… So as my birthday present, here's a new chappie! I hope you all would like it as much as I do!

Now, I have a few announcements to make, so brace yourselves…

1. I totally forgot to mention it, but last chapter we (yes, together, in a team work) achieved over 100 reviews to this fic! I currently have 130 of them! *tears of happiness*

So now, each of you, gets a cookie (open your mouth. No, bigger guys! Come one, we're talking about a really huge cookie! It's 130 reviews!)

Oh man, I'm so excited and I can't thank you enough for all the support and the lovely reviews I've been getting. You, guys, are officially the loves of my life! (I mean, after Sev, of course, but yet, that's a dreamy place to be…under Snape :) heehee…)

So our next goal is 200 reviews, and then you'll get A WHOLE CAKE! 3

2.

This chapter was beta-ed by more than amazing beta **Christina Wynnwood**, who had to put up with so much for this chapter to be perfect for you. This is my favorite chapter so far (and apparently hers too :)) and she worked real hard to make it as wonderful as possible. I love her, so you should too :) you can't send her secret love letters, though. Only I'm allowed to do that! Lolz…

3.

I posted a new fic. It's called**: His Sanity, His Insanity**. It's a HG/HP/SS fic (yeh, I know!) and I really liked the idea of it, so go check it out! You can find it in my profile but here's the link anyway:

www

.fanfiction

.net/s/7338526/1/His_Sanity_His_Insanity

Just take out the spaces :)

And please review after reading the new story… I'd really like to know what you think of it!

**Chapter 11**

She entered the class on Thursday alone. Maddy wasn't feeling well, and Ellie wasn't there yet since there was plenty of time before the bell would ring. She was the first one to get to class, and the minute she arrived Snape raised his eyes to her from his desk. He didn't avert his gaze from her all her way to the back seat and it was unnerving her.

"I graded your test." He said finally. Usually he gave her the graded test on Monday, but for some reason he didn't do it this week.

She walked all the way back to his desk, feeling incredibly stupid because she knew he could have told her that before she took her seat. Taking the test from his hand, he refused to let it go of it. "Please sir," she whispered.

"Hermione," he groaned softly, looking at her pleadingly.

She was so tired of having to fight her desire all the time, and she finally decided to give in. Leaning toward him, their lips met in a kiss. The minute they touched, she felt the same electric bolt she felt every time he touched her.

She heard him growl deeply, as his hands came to rest on her cheeks. Her hands flew to his hair, and she pulled at it tightly, sighing softly as his tongue caressed her lip, and she granted it access. Her knees quivered, her heart's pace quickened and his touch was driving her crazy!

It felt so good, but suddenly footsteps approached the door, and they parted immediately. In an instant she was back in her seat, and his disheveled hair was straightened.

For the rest of the class she couldn't pay attention to anything but his lips, and when the torture finally ended with the ring of the bell, she was so restless she could hardly put her stuff back in her bag. Snape was neatly piling papers on his desk, no doubt trying to occupy himself when the last of the students gradually left the class. She practically ran to his desk, magically locking the door and putting a silencing spell on her way. When she was in front of him, she suddenly felt nervous, but it lasted only a split second, since he hurled her on his desk, all the papers he worked to organize scattering around as he crushed their lips together hungrily.

She moaned as his tongue entered her mouth, exploring it diligently, making her mind explode with thousands of colors. Her fingers pulled at his hair, drawing him closer and closer to her. She felt her body melting, and just when she thought her legs won't carry her any longer, his hands secured her legs around his waist, shoving her as tightly as possible.

When they surfaced from the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, both gasping for air.

"What…what are we doing?" She asked in between pants.

"Shhh." He shushed her with another kiss, and shush she did! For the next few minutes she forgot about everything in the world. There were only he, she and the mind-reeling kiss.

"We… shouldn't-" She tried another time, but he silenced her again with the same effective method.

Finally, he sat down on his chair, pulling her to his lap. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, her head nested in the crook of his neck as he circled her with his arms.

"Baby," He murmured eventually. "What is this?" He indicated with his finger between them.

"That's pure lust." She answered abruptly, not wanting to tell him how she really felt.

"Yes, but I mean, what are we going to do? We clearly can't hold back. I know I can't…"

"Well, you are the responsible adult, you decide." She said in a childish tone.

"But babe, with you around I can't think clearly. Let alone act responsibly." He chuckled at her juvenile behavior.

"So we are two babies in a relationship?" She concluded.

"We are in a relationship?" He raised one eyebrow, placing a finger on her chin so she would look at him.

"I...I don't know. That's your decision, I told you." She said stubbornly.

"So you go from hating me to being in a relationship with me"

"I still hate you," she clarified. "I'm just…well... argh!"

"Mmm… okay, I'll take that as I'm irresistible, and you can't stand my charm," he finished her sentence for her.

"_You_ started kissing me if I recall correctly," she pointed out, her face still turned up to him. "I think _you_ can't resist _me_."

"You're damn right I can't!" And he kissed her just to prove his point.

"As for me," she continued, ignoring his kiss the best she could. "It's just that my body can't get over the fact it used to be attracted to you. I expect it to go away very soon so…" She said coldheartedly. She had to set him straight; she didn't want to mislead him into thinking she expected for something more from him.

His face stayed emotionless as he pulled her to a possessive, rough kiss. Who was she kidding? There was no way the attraction would ever go away!

"Seriously, now, what are we going to do?" She asked after they parted from the kiss.

"I think I'm content with just kissing you." He said. "For now." He added.

"For now?" It was her turn to raise her eyebrow.

"Princess, I'm planning on doing so much more than just kissing you." His rich voice sent shivers down her spine.

"No you won't be doing anything like that! I am not having sex with someone I'm not in love with." Oh, but she was so much in love with him. She would never tell him that, though. Ever. He would only laugh at her if she did.

"Fine!" He scoffed, hurt. "So all we are going to do is kiss?"

"Well…" She nibbled on her lower lip "I…I've never done anything like that before but…I know there are other ways to please each other," she finished in a low voice, blushing furiously.

There was a silence for a second, and then he laughed, shaking all over, rocking her with him.

"My dear, dear baby. My innocent little princess." He hugged her more tightly. "If that's what you want I will comply."

"Good. You will have to teach me, though."

"You were always a quick learner." He kissed the top of her head. "And now we have to go. The janitors are about to lock the school."

"I didn't even take the test!" She suddenly remembered.

"You can come to my apartment and take it there," he suggested, though she could read in his eyes that he wasn't so sure she would actually take it. He obviously had other ideas in his mind, which made her breath catch in her chest.

"O…okay," she stuttered not meeting his eyes. "I'll just park my car at home and I'll apparate to your apartment, okay?"

He nodded.

"I just want to make it perfectly clear again. Our relationship is based on lust and not love or affection." She said seriously when they were getting up to stand.

"You can see this point utterly clarified," he answered aloofly, and they both quickly got out of the classroom.

Hermione drove really fast and when she arrived home, she threw the car keys on a near shelf, removing her shoes.

She took the quickest shower ever, and put on the sexiest panties and bra she could find.

After she finished getting dressed, she took a few seconds to regain her breath-she didn't want to seem too desperate-and, grabbing her iPhone, she apparated outside Snape's apartment.

Before she even knocked, the door flew open, and she was dragged inside. Snape pushed her against the door and ravished her mouth with a breath-taking kiss, her knees coming around him for support.

"God, princess, what you are doing to me," He panted against her forehead.

She caressed his cheeks, breathing hard but still she leaned forward, demanding another kiss.

His hands flew to the rim of her shirt, and lifting it up, his palm cupped her breast. She moaned to the kiss, as his hands massaged her, his fingers finally resting on her erect nipple. His lips descended down her chin to her throat until they found her sensitive spot. She gasped in pleasure pressing his head closer.

"Severus!" She hissed as he threw the shirt over her head and his mouth launched to her nipples. She could feel his erection pressing against her center, and he stopped, nesting his face in her cleavage, trying to recover his composure as he was inhaling sharply.

She could feel him relaxing slowly, as he placed short kisses on her breasts. Then he carried her to a room that was probably his, and placed her on the king-sized bed. He removed his shoes and socks in a record speed, and all she could note was the black color of the bedclothes.

He relieved her of her skirt and for the first time he stopped to look at her. Hermione felt very conscious, trying to hide her bra-clad breasts with her hands.

"Don't!" He growled, approaching to capture her mouth in his. "You are so beautiful!"

He uncovered her breasts again, and trailed kisses down them. She was restless and hot all over, and she wanted something so badly it almost hurt her inside. She didn't know what it was that she craved so much, but his kisses just weren't enough anymore. In a spur of the moment she guided his hand to her burning core. "Be careful," she whispered, not knowing what possessed her to want him to do such a thing.

"You've never?..." he raised his eyebrow.

"I thought I made it clear earlier." She snapped, trying to hide her insecurity. "I told you I will do it only out of love."

"Well, I assumed Weasley or Potter or even Krum…"

"I didn't love any of them that way."

His face lit up as the words left her mouth, and all of the sudden he tugged at her panties, pulling them away. She let out a surprised squeal as she felt his moist tongue against her wetness. It was so wrong. He was her teacher. Worse yet, he was her former Professor; a Death-Eater, a murderer. She knew she had to shove him away but she just couldn't. The sensation was far too good for her to be able to muster the necessary power to resist him.

It was at that moment that Hermione came to be absolutely in love with her teacher's large nose, for while his tongue was wreaking havoc in her folds, his nose, unintentionally, was pleasing her clitoris.

She cried out with desire, her hands pressing his head harder against her, as her hips involuntarily rose to meet his mouth.

"Mine!" He growled repeatedly, kissing, licking and nipping her.

"Yes! Yes! Oh please more!" She didn't even have control of what she was screaming anymore, and she hoped he remembered to place a silencing charm on the room so that the neighbors wouldn't hear.

She felt her climax building, and she pushed her hips one last time, locking her thighs around his head as she cried out "Severuuuuuus!", and exploded.

He licked her clean as she was coming down from her ecstasy and when he finished, he came up to her, kissing her hard, letting her taste her own juices. Then he rested his head on her breast, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She hugged his head closer as she fell into a deep slumber.

~~~!~~~

He was watching her sleeping form. This was what he always dreamt of, to be in her arms while she sleeps, but he couldn't feel completely happy.

She explicitly said she would never love him, and it was killing him. He loved her so much, she was the light in his life, and though it gave him joy to no end to know she was attracted to him, he still couldn't help but want more, so much more.

He wanted her heart, but he knew it was an already-lost war. She would never be completely his. He was encouraged by the fact she held no feeling for the Weasley boy, but he knew better than to expect she would stay his forever. Sooner or later, she was bound to fall in love with one of the many young men that sought her attention, and although she was oblivious to their effort, as her mind was deep in other matters, she was a friendly kind of person and he dreaded the day she would finally wake up and march to another's arm.

While she was asleep, he turned them around, so she was on his chest now. She was stirring slightly as he stroked her cheeks and kissed her forehead, her eyes fluttering open as she lifted her head to look at him.

"Morning," she whispered in a hoarse voice.

"It's more like evening." He smiled at her, her sleepy eyes warming his heart.

"I'm sorry I didn't…well…satisfy you." She blushed beautifully.

"Believe me, baby, it satisfies me very much to know I exhausted you with pleasure." He chuckled at her. "Besides, I took care of it in the bathroom while you napped so it's fine." As she understood the meaning of his words, her face flushed a deeper shade of red and he chuckled to himself. She was so adorable it almost hurt him physically. "I did satisfy you, though, didn't I?" He asked, wanting to hear how it was for her.

"Oh, god yes, it was so…wow." She buried her head deeper in his chest, embarrassed.

He loved how shy she was. God, was there anything he didn't love about her?

"I'm glad," he said simply. He took her hands in his, kissing them softly. His lips met a cold metal, and he could deduct an invisibility spell on her finger. "Show me the ring," he demanded.

She obeyed, removing the spell. He looked at the silver serpent that circled her finger. He, of course, had a golden lion, but her ring fascinated him. He was, after all, the head of the Slytherin house.

"You like?" She asked him.

"Mmm…it reminds me I have to return you your great grandmother's ring."

"You took it away from me rather harshly I recall," she chided him, punching his arm playfully. He was so happy she could be playful with him.

"Yes, I couldn't risk you would somehow discover the truth. You were blessed with the ability to find anything in a book."

"I've never even thought it was magical, why would I look for it in a magical book?" She responded. "It was just a funny little amusement in that gloomy summer. Harry and I had so much fun with it…"

He snorted. "You were having fun? You told me you were engaged."

"Were you jealous?" She teased him.

"Don't be silly, of course not." He snorted indifferently, masking his true feelings.

"You scared me so much that night. I didn't understand what you were so mad about." She shuddered. He pulled her closer. "You protected my family's secret rather diligently, didn't you?"

"I tried my best, baby princess," he replied, happy she mistook his anger for fear of her discovering the truth.

She giggled, and he raised her eyebrow at her. "What?"

"You call me baby princess…"

"So?" His eyebrow lifted higher

"I like it," she said decidedly. "I think I need to find you a pet name too"

"No, you don't!"

"Mmm… let me see…how about…honey?"

"Hermione!" He said warningly.

"No?" She said innocently. "So maybe…sugar?"

"Oh merlin!"

"I know! I'm going to call you pet!"

"Pet? Seriously?" He shook his head disbelievingly.

"Yep!" She popped the "p". "Now I have to find another pet name."

"What for?" He thought the nightmare was over. He hoped that he would somehow persuade her to abandon the pointless idea, but if she was searching for another name…

"Well… you sometimes call me baby and sometimes princess, so I would sometimes call you pet and sometimes…handsome!"

"Dear lord!" He covered his face with a pillow. "Are you trying to humiliate me on purpose?"

She laughed at him, and then leaned to kiss his lips. "No. I like calling you handsome, handsome," she whispered.

"I am so doomed." He covered his eyes with his hands in mock despair.

"You were doomed the minute you decided to seduce me, pet," she whispered once again and Severus thought he wouldn't care to be eternally doomed as long as she kissed him like that every day.

~~~##*##~~~

Pretty intense, eh?

Our dear couple hides their true feelings from each other…Don't you just want to shake them and let them hear each other's thoughts?

But finally they're giving in to the sexual tension after 11 chapters (!), which is a lot. Stupid, stubborn cows. Heeheehee.

Sigh…don't worry… eventually they are going to find out. ;)

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!

And don't forget my new story! Love ya all ppl!


	12. Chapter 12

Sooo sorry for the long wait! I was on vacation and then had a HUGE project!

This chapter was beta-ed by my LOVELY beta**, Christina Wynnwood**.

The death in this chapter is dedicated solely and especially to my dear friend, Talia, my inspiration ... and shrink. I hope you enjoy it….

**Chapter 12**

She was awakened rudely by her iPhone ringing and buzzing loudly. "Damn it," she muttered as she blindly made her way from Snape's room to his living room, finding her phone thrown on the floor.

As if to make her even more aggravated, the minute she touched it, it stopped ringing. She took it with her, and half asleep, she walked back to the bedroom, putting the phone on the nightstand. She snuggled back to Snape's chest, the familiar tinge shooting through her body as he wrapped his arms around her possessively. He started to kiss her, going from the top of her head to her cheek, and finally he reached her lips.

"Mmm…Severus stop! I'm tired." She mumbled against his lips, yet she drew him closer to her. Her phone chose this moment to go off again, and frustrated and deprive of his lips, which was stupid because she just had those, she grabbed at it.

"What?" She snapped, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Mione?" It was Harry. He seemed confused by her outburst.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I'm just really tired." She sighed. Well it was half the truth, wasn't it? Snape pulled her closer, and started kissing her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

"Okay, listen, I need to talk to you, can I come to meet you?" He asked. Snape's lips reached the sensitive spot on her throat, distracting her.

"Stop!" She whispered to Severus, covering the phone in her hand. Characteristically, he didn't.

"Who are you talking to?" Harry asked her.

"No one, now what is it that we need to talk about?" She slapped Snape's hand as it began descending to her navel. She tried to glare at him but he only chuckled silently.

"It's not for the phone. Where can I come to meet you?"

"You know what? _I'll_ come to meet _you_. I'll be at Grimmauld Place in…let's say…an hour?" She ignored Snape's scowl.

"That's great, see you Mione!"

"Bye!" She hung up.

"You are not going." Snape said immediately.

"Excuse me?"

"No, you are not excused, princess, you are staying here with me."

"Don't you think you sound a bit possessive? We've only started this…whatever it is yesterday, you have no right to be so possessive with me."

"You are my girlfriend, and you were my goddaughter long before that. I've always been possessive, but now I finally got the right to show it." He folded his arms on his chest. It was weird that he did it while resting on his side, but somehow the gesture had the same effect that it had when he did it standing.

"Pardon?" She blinked. "What gave you the idea I'm your girlfriend?" She was totally shocked.

"Why, _you_ did baby. You said we're in a relationship." He raised one eyebrow at her, challenging her to contradict him.

"But I don't love you." She said numbly, as if it was an answer to what he said.

"Yes, I believe we've already established this fact constantly, Hermione." He said irritated, "I don't see what that has to do with you being my girlfriend."

"Well… girlfriend gives the idea of…well…certain feelings." She mused.

"We do have feelings for each other. Pure lust and hatred as you so often emphasize. That's a very solid ground for a relationship I'd say."

After a few moments of comprehensive silence, she started giggling.

"What?" He inquired.

"That has to be the stupidest argument I've ever heard, but I'll take it." Then she laughed even harder, "Ooh, just imagine to yourself that I had gone to one of the quivering first year students of Hogwarts and told them you had a girlfriend. They would have surly fainted!"

"Well, I've never had a girlfriend before, and I think even _I_'m entitled to one. Even if our relationship is a bit…untraditional." He finished with a smirk. "It's bound to be an interesting experience though, you have to admit."

"Wait, does it mean you are my boyfriend?" She suddenly thought.

"I believe so." He took her to his arms, holding her tightly.

She couldn't help herself and she started laughing again. "Professor Severus Snape, the scary bat from the dungeons, the head of the Slytherin house, the fearsome Death-Eater! A boyfriend! Who would have thought?"

He just kissed her forehead wordlessly, pressing her harder to himself.

"You are mine now…for the time being, and I'm not letting you go anywhere until Monday morning when we have to go to school." He stated finally.

"Oh shit! Harry!" She shot from his arms swiftly, knocking him flat on his back on the bed. "I gotta go! I still have to shower and change and…urgh!" She ran her fingers through her messy hair, and went to kiss him hard on his lips. She simply couldn't resist. They had an agreement, right? So she could do it whenever she wanted. It turned out to be a mistake though, as he didn't want to let go of her, deepening the kiss.

"That's enough, pet," she said sternly after some more kissing. "I really need to get going."

"Fine!" He sighed. "But you have to come back here as soon as you are finished with Harry. I might not be here when you come back, but wait for me, okay? Your grandfather has been summoning me repeatedly for the past half an hour, and I've been ignoring him." He gave her a boyish smile.

"You can do that? I mean…doesn't it hurt when he summons you?" She asked cautiously.

"Being your godfather comes with benefits, baby princess; like being second in command and not being painfully summoned." He placed a small kiss on her temple.

"I'm glad he's not hurting you." She allowed herself to snuggle in his embrace for another second, but then she got up and kissing his forehead. She said goodbye and apparated to her house.

~~~!~~~

"Hermione! We haven't seen you in ages!" Ron jumped as he answered the door of Grimmauld Place. They all still lived there, with the exception of Hermione of course.

"That's your fault, Ron, you could have come to visit me like Harry and Ginny did." She teased.

"Yeah, I know." He smiled sheepishly. "It's just…not that easy."

When their sixth year ended, Ron asked her out. She rejected him, not understanding where he got this stupid notion. They didn't suit each other at all and she never thought she encouraged him, but apparently he thought she did. He gave her for example her crying over his display of affection for Lavender after the Quidditch game earlier that year.

She couldn't tell him the real reason for her being upset that day, now could she? She was feeling so bad because she accidently bumped into Snape earlier on the corridor, and she felt this electric shock. She felt so much frustration, and it didn't help that through the whole game she was positioned at the stands facing him. She felt so miserable for not being able to act on her feelings, and then she walked in on Ron who shoved his ability to kiss the girl she thought he loved whenever he wanted in her face, and it made her so miserable she took it all on him.

Of course, he didn't know about her feelings toward Snape, and she didn't think he would take it too well. While Harry hated Snape with passion, he was still a lot more reasonable and staid than Ron would ever be. So even though she told Harry, she could never tell Ron.

Ever since her rejection, the atmosphere around them was strained and tense. She guessed that was the reason he didn't feel free to drop by.

"So, do you have any idea what Harry wants to tell me?" She asked, curious.

"I'm not supposed to tell you." He said in a straight face from which she couldn't even determine whether it was a bad thing or a good thing.

"Oh, seriously!" She groaned, going up to Harry and Ginny's room. It took a lot of persuading to convince Mrs. Weasley to let them share a room, but when Harry kept sneaking the Ginny's room anyway she reluctantly agreed.

"Hello Mione." Harry greeted her solemnly as she entered the room. "Sit. I'm afraid I don't have good news."

"What is it?" She narrowed her eyes, while sitting on their bed. "Ginny? Why are you looking so serious?"

"Well, Hermione, you know how much I love you." Harry started. "But I'm afraid every relationship we had has to terminate." Shit! They somehow discovered about her grandfather, or even about Snape! What is she going to do?

"Wh…why?" She asked, her throat drying.

"Because, Hermione" He sighed gravely "G-"

"I'm pregnant! And we're engaged!" Ginny burst suddenly, unable to hold her sinister face anymore.

"What? Ahhhhhhhh!" She and Ginny screamed simultaneously running to hug each other. They jumped up and down, still hugging and squealing with joy.

"Thank you very much Ginny, you've ruined my surprise." Harry whined and came to join their group hug.

"What did you mean we can't continue our relationship?" Hermione asked after they all relaxed.

"Because of the all engagement thing we did two years ago." He replied. "I meant it to be a joke, but maybe it's not that funny." He smiled. "I meant we can't be engaged anymore."

"Oh, I was so scared!" She let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. At that minute she understood she could never tell Harry about her grandfather. She valued his friendship too much to let it go because of family ties she didn't even want.

"Well, tell me everything!" she prompted them to tell her.

"We discovered a week ago I'm already two months pregnant…"

"God, it's so exciting!" Hermione squealed. "And you're only sixteen! Didn't your mom flip out?"

"She didn't." Harry smirked. "All she could think about was that she's gonna be a grandmother, and that the father is me."

"Anyway, yesterday, this cocky Harry of mine took me on a fancy date in some muggle restaurant so we won't encounter Death-Eaters.. And then this silly romantic boy just bent on one knee and asked me to be his wife. He gave me this ridiculously expensive ring." She showed Hermione the ring on her finger.

"It's beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed, excited. "The one he gave me was much better though, and I bet the proposal wasn't as dramatic as mine." They both giggled at that.

"So, when are you going to get married?"

"I don't care to do it tonight." Harry explained." But my fiancée here…merlin, I love calling her that!...So, as I was saying, my fiancée here seems to need a wedding gown so we'll wait for her to find one. We don't want it to be a big wedding. I don't want anyone to know about it. Just a few selected order members, close friends and that's it. No media or anything, I can't stand them, plus we don't want Voldemort to discover and prepare a wedding surprise to us…" He finished soberly.

"So we're going to do it in like two or three weeks, so we won't let the news spread, you know. Besides, I can't wait to call this man my husband." Ginny smiled warmly at her soon-to-be partner in life, and placed a small kiss on his lips. "And we must take into account my belly. Mom says it starts showing around the third month, and I don't want it to show through my wedding gown!"

Hermione couldn't help but envy them and their love. She got to be with the man she loved but in the most twisted way. Snape obviously felt nothing but attraction and lust toward her, while she loved him with every fiber of her being. She didn't want to have sex with him, which meant he would be quickly bored with her. He would probably discard her then, leaving her even more miserable than before. What disturbed her the most was that she couldn't bring herself to relinquish him, and not even twenty four hours passed since they started they somewhat peculiar relationship!

"Are you okay, Mione?" Harry inquired, worried.

"Yes." She sighed. "It's just that I wish I could be as happy as you are."

"You'll find love, Hermione." Ginny assured her in that same generous spirit all brides-to-be speak to their less-fortunate friends. "And anyway, you are going to be my maid of honor, and I'll be sure to throw the bouquet your way…" She smiled.

"Yay!" Hermione jumped from the bad happily. "I'm gonna be the maid of honor! And Ron's gonna be your best man, right?" She turned to Harry.

"Yep." He said, laying himself on the bed, dragging Ginny with him. "And you two will make a lovely couple, walking down the aisle in our wedding." He smirked.

"Harry, not you too, please! You know how ridiculous it is, I'll never love him that way." She shook her head. "Besides, there was only one man for me, and now he went and got himself engaged!" She added with a mischievous spark in her eyes, dropping herself on the bed beside him so now Harry was between her and Ginny.

Harry tossed and turned, so now his arms were draped around her and Ginny. "Really?" He asked in a seemingly surprise tone. "Show me the bastard so I can kill him for you."

"Yes, and if you don't manage taking revenge, I'll talk to his arch nemesis, Volde-something. He'll help me. You know I have connections in the Death-Eaters circles." Hermione suggested jokingly.

Harry snorted in laughter. "Sweet innocent Hermione has connections with Death-Eaters, now wouldn't it be funny?" Harry eyed Ginny.

"Hilarious." She agreed.

Hermione just laughed whole heartedly. If they only knew…

"It's nice to have the two women I love the most in my arms. You know, maybe I should marry you both." He proposed.

"Nah, I can't share my man with anyone." Ginny scooted over closer to him.

"I'm your man?" He asked with a silly smile.

"Yes you are, bunny." She kissed his noise.

"Really Ginny? Bunny?" Hermione snickered.

"What can I do? He's my little bunny." She patted his head, cooing to him as if he was a baby.

"I should have stuck with Hermione." He shook his head in mock regret. "She is much more mature than you, baby."

Hermione shivered when he called Ginny baby. What was it with men and that word? Was it a family trait?

She stayed with Harry and Ginny until it started to become dark, when her iPhone went off. She went to answer it outside the room, leaving the loving couple to their little bickering.

"Hello?"

"Hermione?" A slightly familiar voice answered.

"Yes, who is it?" She enquired, confused.

"You don't recognize me?" The voice at the other side of the phone seemed to be smiling.

It couldn't be! "How did you get my number?" She asked, angrily.

"Your mother gave it to me. I have the right, you know, I am still your grandfather, even if you don't like this fact." He answered smugly.

"What the hell do you want?" She snapped at him.

"For you to come over. I want to plan a…bonding trip with you."

"I don't want to bond with you. You are the enemy. Besides, how come you have a muggle cellphone? Isn't it against your agenda or something?"

"I told you she wouldn't agree!" She heard him whisper to someone next to him.

"Let me talk to her." She heard a woman's voice reply. She heard a rustle in the line while she was no doubt transported to the women.

"Hermione dearie, it's your grandmother talking. Please give him a chance; he really wants you to get to know him better"

"Great. Make me sound desperate." She heard Voldemort murmur sarcastically.

"Hush, darling, let me handle this" She chided him.

"So we'll see you here in five minutes?" She continued.

"N-"

"Good, bye, sweetie, we're waiting for you!" And she hung up, not even letting Hermione insert a word.

Hermione stood there dumbfounded for a while, not understanding what the hell just happened.

_'No way I'm going there!'_ She stomped her foot, irritably. She heard a thud, and looking down, she saw she just stepped on a cockroach, killing it.

"Oi, Hermione, you've just killed the poor bug!" Said Ron, who passed by, with a very convincing horrified expression.

"Hermione? Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?" Harry, who came out of the room when he heard Ron talking, looked at her with just as convincing disappointment.

"It's my connections with the Death-Eaters; I think they are starting to take their toll on me." She lowered her head in mock shame.

"The least you can do is to give him the honor of burying it someplace decent." Ron shook his head.

"Maybe I should bury it in the back yard. We'll have a funeral and all. All expenses on me." Hermione said regretfully.

"Well, that _would_ be the respectable thing to do." Harry said gravely.

"I think I'll have to say a few things in its memory sometime in the funeral." Ron announced.

"Yeah, me too." Harry and Hermione said together.

"You all are really stupid!" Ginny just rolled her eyes at them, and their self-control broke and they all laughed.

~~~##*##~~~

So…

Snape and Hermione have a very…interesting relationship. Hehehe…

And Harry and Ginny are engaged. No surprises there, right? We all knew it would sometime happen. And I know some of you think it's too soon, but in a few chapters (in chapter 15 to be exact) Harry would explain his motives more clearly :)

And I hope the death satisfied you, Talia. I tried to kill someone just for you, and I thought you'd appreciate me killing the cockroach ;) (*sticking my tongue out*)

**What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!**

**And again, read my other story: His sanity, His Insanity. You can find it in my profile:)**


	13. Chapter 13

Hey guys!

First of all, I'm SO SORRY I didn't update sooner! I know it's been a month and I'm really sorry! I had this chapter ready, but I got stuck in the editing part. I mean, have you ever heard about editor's block? That's just stupid!

I wanted to personally thank to all the people who kept asking when I'm going to update. It what make me do this eventually!

And as always, this chapter is finally here mainly because of my AWSOME beta, **Christina Wynnwood. **Go check her work!

**Chapter 13**

Hermione apparated straight to the large room she met her grandparents in the previous time. Her grandfather was waiting for her, accompanied by her grandmother. His face seemed to lighten a bit, just teensy weensy bit. And he quickly changed his face, so it weren't his Voldemort face, but his Tom Riddle face.

"Are you a Metamorphmagus?" Hermione asked, forgetting for a moment her anger. The easiness in which he changed his face fascinated her.

"No, I just used a spell I invented. The other face makes people afraid of me. This face," he pointed the face he had now, "is reserved for family only."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, all her anger flaring back again at the mention of the word "family".

"I don't care that you are my family. I'm ashamed of that fact and I still hate you, and there is nothing you can do to change it!" She declared confidently.

He sighed. "I thought so too, but your grandmother here," and he sent Nagini a stern look, though she seemed to be very interested in a certain spot on the wall and didn't catch his glare, "thought I should try. So I cleared my schedule for tomorrow and I'm taking you on a trip. Do you have any destination you'd prefer or can I throw some ideas and you'll choose whatever you like?"

"I told you, I have no interest in bonding with you!" She repeated stubbornly.

"I wish I could say the same, but you are my granddaughter and the sooner you will act like one the better. I am taking you to France. End of discussion."

"Really? So I have no say in the matter? You hope to achieve some sort of connection with me, yet you rule me as if I were your lowliest Death-Eater?" She had her hands on her hips, her poise screaming rebellion.

"I'll be expecting you tomorrow at six in the morning." He had a blank expression that Hermione found hard to read, and before she could respond there was a knock on the door. "I'm going to answer that. My Death-Eaters know they mustn't disturb me now so it must be something important." He explained. Without even lifting a finger, he changed his face to the snakelike Voldemort face; his nose sank to his face, his eyes narrowed and their color changed to red. Magically, he opened the door to reveal an over-ecstatic Pettigrew and an unreadable Snape.

Her Snape.

Her heart accelerated at his sight, and she was thankful the treacherous rat's excited blabbering covered the sharp intake of air she couldn't helpas her eyes met her boyfriend's beautiful black ones.

God, she loved calling him her boyfriend!

She knew his eyes were not beautiful in the conservative sense, but for her they were most heartbreakingly gorgeous. And they held her stare now, refusing to let go, until Pettigrew's word sank in through her dazed state.

"That could be a wonderful opportunity, sire. We could arrange for an attack right at Potter's wedding's day. It's all pretty hush-hush, sire, so he won't be expecting us at all." The slime ball of a rat finished his ramble with triumph.

Hermione's eyes widened in fear. No. No no no no no! It cannot happen to poor Harry and Ginny. They have been through so much their wedding day couldn't get ruined! And what about Ginny's baby? She couldn't let it happen! How the hell did he discover about the wedding? It was supposed to be a secret!

Snape watched her carefully and his face started to look worried. "Master," he said warningly in the same silent and calm tone he always used, looking at Hermione's direction meaningfully.

"That would be all, Pettigrew." The Dark Lord said once he saw her ashen face.

"Thank you, sire!" He squeaked, groveling indignantly, closing the door behind him as he went out.

Her Severus stayed where he was, not moving.

"Hermione?" Her grandmother laid a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"How did you know?" She only asked, her voice trembling. "Do you have a spy in the Order?" Of course they had a spy! What kind of a stupid question is that?

"It has nothing to do with spies, didn't you hear Pettigrew?" Voldemort raised one eyebrow at her.

"I... I was distracted." She mumbled shakily.

"Ah, but it's a funny story, actually, how we came to discover it." He said with a gleam in his eye. "We have Death-Eaters patrolling around Grimmauld Place just like the Order has wizards watching my headquarters." He seemed to think it was amusing. "I always thought it was useless, but it seems to have its merits." He smirked.

"Your friend Weasley, in a spur of excitement no doubt, shouted it from the window. I don't think Potter knows about my followers around the house, because he thought it was very funny and joined him at the window screaming 'I'm marrying Ginny Weasley in two weeks!'. And that, Hermione, the story of how Harry Potter told the Dark Lord when to find him. The _where _is not a problem to find."

Hermione wanted to vomit, or just kill Harry and Ron for their stupidity. With their inability to shut up for a moment they were going to lose everything!

Throughout her grandfather's explanation, Severus came closer to her. He observed her intently, holding her gaze so she wouldn't fall to the floor in grief. Eventually, he was next to her, and the minute Voldemort finished talking he snatched her to him, holding her tight as she cried to his Death-Eaters robes.

"No, please no. I'm supposed to be the Maid of Honor. She said she would throw the bouquet to me!" She wept to his chest.

"Shhh." He lifted her so her legs didn't touch the ground, and he was rocking her back and forth, as if she was a baby who needed calming. "It's all going to be alright, baby, I promise you. Stop crying, please." He murmured in her ear, kissing her temple again and again until her crying subsided to sobbing.

She sniffed as the idea struck her. "I will go with you to Paris only if you promise you will not destroy Harry's wedding."

"It doesn't work like that." Her grandfather answered immediately.

"Then I'm not going with you. I'm not coming with you, and I will never come near you. I will go to the wedding, and make sure Harry is not killed. If he would die, be certain I would kill myself."

"You will do no such thing." Snape's hold on her tightened painfully as the words came from her mouth. "You will go nowhere near a fight. You can't have a fight with her around!" Snape looked angrily at his master.

"Severus," he warned him. Her godfather's face assumed a still expression immediately, but Severus' grip became even tighter, as if he was trying to protect her.

She felt again the sickening feeling from earlier and gagged. Snape quickly ran with her to an attached bathroom she didn't notice before, and lifted her hair as she emptied the contents of her stomach to the toilet. After there was nothing left for her to vomit, Severus lifted her again to the sink, where he washed her face and mouth in cold water.

He shoved a glass of water to her hand, ordering her to drink as her wild heartbeats returned slowly back to normal. When she finished drinking, he took a face towel and dried her face and still watering eyes gently. Then he kissed her forehead, and then her nose, and then both her cheeks, and then he took her hand, and dragged her back to the room.

Her grandmother talked silently to Voldemort. Both looked worried, though you had to look carefully to see the concern on the Dark Lord's face.

"I accept your offer," he said simply to Hermione, before Severus had time to say a word. The Professor snapped his open mouth, squeezed her hand and let it go. She instantly felt the coldness where his warm hand used to be. "But don't think I will let you throw a tantrum every time I'm going to hurt Harry or someone else you know." He informed her. "This is the first, and definitely the last time I surrender to a behavior of that kind. Severus, I trust you will see her to her house safely."

And with that he turned to his desk and started ruffling through papers.

Severus took the hint, and taking her hand again he apparated them to his apartment, landing them in his room. He took off her clothes and dressed her with a grey t-shirt from his wardrobe. He removed his shoes and socks, and went to his en-suite. He emerged moments later in black pajama pants and t-shirt and he lied beside her, pulling his duvet to cover them both.

He drew her to his body, resting her head on his chest while circling her waist with his arms. She loved the feeling of his heated skin through the fabric. She took in his soothing musky smell and sighed in contentment.

"It's not fair." He murmured to her head, kissing the top of it.

"What's not fair?" She whispered back to him.

"This morning I was set on not letting you out of this room for the next three days, seeing neither of us has school, but then Potter and the Dark Lord decided to collude and ruin my plans. We wasted a whole day, and tomorrow you're going with your grandfather."

"How do you know about it? You weren't in the room when he made the demand to take me to Paris." She drew circles on his shirt with her fingers. Strangely, the motion calmed her.

"I helped him clear his schedule for tomorrow. It wasn't an easy task at all. That's why he called me this morning. We were slaving away, working on it for the entire time you were having fun with your friends.

She snickered, but suddenly became serious as she understood what her grandfather sacrificed for her, and how quickly she dismissed his offer. Then another thing Severus said occurred to her. She raised her head and stare at him in amazement.

"Handsome?"

"Mmm?"

"What were you planning on doing with me for three whole days?"

"Isn't it a shame you'll never know now?" Sparkles danced in his eyes as he answered her.

"It's not funny, handsome, I want to know!" She demanded in a spoiled voice.

He just smirked at her.

"Really, pet, how can you fill three days without sex?" She insistently held his eyes, waiting for an answer.

"You are determined to call me pet, aren't you?" He inquired, cocking his eyebrow at her.

"Yes, pet. And handsome too." She affirmed his fears. "For now, anyway." She added as if in an afterthought.

"Handsome is incredibly incorrect but at least it's not as silly as pet." He commented.

"Well, most of the girls at school would beg to differ about the incorrect part, and I intend to keep calling you both pet and handsome, unless you are ready to stop calling me baby and princess." She raised her nose in the air, but then leaned and pecked his lips. Secretly she hoped he would never stop calling her that.

"Why, you don't like it? Do you want me to quit calling you that?" He questioned, caressing her cheek with his finger tenderly.

"No! Don't stop!" She quickly said, kissing his lips fully now. "I love it." _'I love you.'_

"Don't worry, I could never stop. It became like a second nature to me after eighteen years." He assured her.

"Handsome?" she said after a long comfortable silence. "You know, the night is still young, and we don't have much to do. Maybe you still can show me at least _some_ of the things you planned?"

"You are really desperate for me, aren't you princess?" He laughed, and for some reason he didn't sound arrogant at all.

"What?" She said, feigning hurt. "I have ruined expectations from this morning too!" her hand slowly made its way to the hem of his shirt.

Without warning he flipped them over, so now she was lying on her back, him on top of her. He locked her hands above her head, kissing her mouth roughly. In an instant her body became inflamed, the tingling from his touch intensifying with each passing moment. She needed the man, and she was going to tell him just that.

"Please, Severus." She moaned into the kiss, and he hurriedly complied and relocated his mouth so now it was making its way from her chin, to her neck and finally it arrived to where his t-shirt started hiding her skin from him.

He lifted the shirt over her head, and tossed it to the floor. Immediately he started kissing her breasts. "Yessss!" She hissed as his wet mouth made contact with her quickly hardening nipple. Encouraged by her moan of pleasure Severus took her other nipple in his mouth, and passed his tongue over it. Hermione's back rose toward him on its own accord, her breasts being shoved further to his face.

What was it in this man that made the simplest of touches so pleasurable? She loved him so much! She wanted with all her heart to make love to him, but she couldn't. She couldn't make love to someone who didn't love her, to someone who only saw her as a sex toy.

Sometimes, she was sure he still though about her as a child. That's what she was to him, a child, a baby. After all, isn't it what he always called her? Baby?

He left her breasts to continue his journey down her body, making her wail in disappointment.

"Patient, princess, I regretfully have to leave your wonderful nipples so I can really pleasure you." He chuckled, kissing her navel. "But if you insist…"

"No!" She said when she understood he was going to keep teasing her. She didn't need teasing. She needed him to make her forget what happened with her grandfather. She needed him to quickly get to the point. With all the love she felt for that man she knew it would be harder to resist if he were gentle. "Please…Just…I need…"

"Okay." He nodded.

Good. Maybe that way it won't be this difficult not to break when…

All thoughts flew out of her head the minute his mouth found the triangle of her pubic hair. "Oh, Severus!" She screamed as he parted her legs and brushed her aching nub with his finger.

"You enjoy this, princess?" He asked as he rubbed her. He started easily, but when she shot him an urging look he started massaging her harder and harder.

"Yes, oh God, yes!" She groaned, her hips arching to meet his mouth that now replaced the finger. He descended to her wet, waiting hole and licked it, making her shudder with need and lust. "Ahhh" her eyes closed as he licked and licked and licked, faster and faster and faster, all the time his nose poking her clit, teasing it.

She hugged his head with her legs, clenching the sheets and gritting her teeth as wave after wave of desire hit her body.

"I can't…anymore…going…to come." She panted, trying to pull him even closer with her thighs, which were still locked around his head.

"Mmm." He hummed against her, sending a magnificent sensation through her pussy. That was all she needed to finally break.

"Severussss!" She gave a high pitched screamed as she finally climaxed against his mouth. As he did the previous time, he licked her clean, making her orgasm even more powerful, and then crawled besides her, lying his head on her naked breast hugging her tightly.

"I wouldn't mind spending three days like that." She whispered to him after she came down from her trance. "That was amazing, pet, truly amazing." She kissed his head tiredly.

He smiled a satisfied smile, kissing her breast lightly and she knew he waited for the praise. It seemed as if he was insecure and uncertain that he did a good job and needed her appreciation. She made a note to herself to always compliment him after he did something to her. Then her heart pounded at the fact she was making long-term plans for both of them.

"And don't think I didn't notice you didn't let me see your body yet, which is completely unfair seeing there is no part of me you haven't laid your eyes upon." She pouted, but he just shook his head.

"Not now, baby, not yet." He lifted his head to look at her pleadingly.

"Then when?" She was sure of his insecurity of himself by now, but she had no idea what made him so vulnerable.

"Soon, I promise."

She nodded her understanding and he laid his head back on the top of her as she combed his hair with her fingers.

She kept stroking his hair for a while until he gradually talked.

"You know, there was a much easier solution for your problem with the Dark Lord. You could just tell Potter to have his wedding earlier or later then he planned," he said after a long silence.

"No." She shook her head. "I have to be neutral. If I start telling the Order what my grandfather plots, I'll have to tell my grandfather what the Order plans, just because he's my grandfather. Although I hate him, I can't be responsible for his death. I saw how much he means to my mother and I just can't…I can't do that to her." She said, frustrated with herself for her inability to do what seems the right thing.

But was it the right thing? To betray your own family for something you believe in? Doesn't your family's value come first? And if she did betray him, wouldn't she be exactly like Snape, who betrayed Harry and Dumbledore for his belief in the Death-Eater's ways?

"Besides, I don't want to be a spy to any side of this stupid war. Spying ruins the spy's life." She concluded.

"Smart girl." He tightened his hold on her approvingly. "Spying brings nothing but misery. It's a horrible double life. I'm glad I could teach you at least one thing from my bitter experience." He said closing his eyes so she couldn't see the emotions there.

"Let's not ruin tonight." She whispered into his ear as she started to trail kisses down his jaw and to his beautiful shirt-clad chest. She loved this man so much it wasn't fair. Why couldn't she never be with him? What harm had she done to anyone that she deserved to be tortured like that?

As before, he didn't let her touch him, and he spent the night pleasuring her without letting her return the favor until they both were too tired to move and she fell asleep naked in his arms, feeling warmer than ever.

~~~##*##~~~

Aren't they CUTE? I LOVE them together…Poor Harry and Ginny, right? They really don't want Voldemort in their wedding, do they? Do you think he'd be there? You'd laugh if you knew what I do!

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!


	14. Chapter 14

Hey guys!

Another chapter and so soon!

I was a bit disappointed from the lack of reviews. I got only six or seven of them. Didn't you like the previous chapter? :(

I really hope it was because I didn't update in a long time and that's your revenge plan… so please! Comment! Review! I really want to know(in details,, if possible) what you think!

And thanks for everyone who DID take their time to review. I'm updating this for you!

And as always, this chapter was beta-ed by me AMAZIGLY AWSOME beta, **Christina Wynnwood**.

**Chapter 14**

"Rise and shine, my sleeping beauty." Severus whispered, kissing Hermione's temple softly. He was on top of her, looking at her pretty morning face. She was so beautiful his heart wrenched at her serene expression, and he wanted nothing but to spend the rest of the day continuing last night's activities, but he knew he couldn't. "You have to wake up, your grandfather's waiting for you." He shook her shoulders gently.

"Mmm lemme sleep." She mumbled sleepily, trying to stop him from waking her up.

"You have to go soon. It's already twenty minutes past seven and you still have to take a shower." He reminded her, his fingers caressing her cheeks tenderly.

"You kept me awake so late last night, at least have the decency to let me sleep!" She poked his chest, accusingly, and closed her eyes again.

He chuckled. She had a point, neither of them had much sleep last night. Of course he had to take care of his own erection eventually, but he did it in the sanctuary of the bathroom, under the heavy waterfall of the shower.

But she really needed to wake up if she didn't want to be late for the trip he and her grandfather planned. When he saw she wasn't going to wake up he got up and headed towards his en-suit, starting the water in the bath. Then he strode back to the bad and scooped up the still sleeping Hermione in his arms, bridal-style. She didn't seem to notice she was no longer in bed. Instead, she snuggled to his chest, murmuring incoherently.

He couldn't resist and he gave her a full kiss on her muttering lips. She was still naked seeing neither of them had the energy to get her dressed last night, so he didn't have to undress her now for what he had in mind. Without a warning, he dropped her to the now steaming, water-filled bath. She screamed, waking up abruptly from the contact the liquid made with her body. She looked at him angrily her eyes shooting daggers to his direction.

"You fucking asshole!" She yelled at him.

"Such a harsh language, baby. I'm wounded." He said with a silky tone.

"You deserve much worst, you…you…uh!" Her sleep ridden mind probably couldn't find an appropriate curse for him.

He kissed her once again, laughing and was about to get out when she looked at him curiously. "What?" He asked her.

"Aren't you going to join me?" Her hands made inviting motions in the water as she looked at him suggestively.

He couldn't. There was no way he would let her see him naked. "No." He answered shortly.

"Please!" She batted her eyelashes at him, and he was finding it very hard to refuse.

"No." He stood his ground. He wouldn't let her turn him around her finger.

"Pwetty pwease!" She said in a baby-like voice, pouting adorably. God, this girl was driving him crazy!

"I will bath you, but I am not going in with you." He made a compromise.

"Fine! Do it your way, but don't say I'm selfish for not giving you pleasure in return!" She crossed her hands over hear perfect breasts.

"I won't." He whispered, kneeling in the bath next to her and starting to scrub her shoulders with a sponge.

Twenty minutes later, he carried her out of the bath, and after drying her carefully with a big, warm towel he dressed her up in one of his t-shirts.

"Now baby, I want you to go straight to your apartment and get dressed. You will eat breakfast with your grandfather, so don't worry about food, okay?" He took her small hands in his bigger ones.

"Um, what?" She was looking intensely into his eyes, but didn't seem to pay attention to a word he was saying.

"Where is your mind, princess?" He asked her.

"In the bath you gave me," she answered cheekily.

"Oh really?" He was taken aback, expecting her to be concerned with the fact she was going to spend the day with the Dark Lord.

"Yes. We should do it more often. It's like we did last night, but with the added effect of the hot water so it's…different. Good different." She squeezed his hands, sparkles dancing in her eyes.

He groaned, kissing her lips hungrily. "You are going to be late if you keep talking like that."

"Frankly, pet, I don't give a damn!" She said before returning the kiss with the same fire.

It was much, _much_ later that she disapparated to her apartment, leaving Severus panting and frustrated. He had to take a cold shower, which didn't do much good because he was only reminded of their earlier actions there. After that, he felt his master summoning him so he quickly dressed in his Death-Eaters uniform and mask and apparated to the headquarters.

"She didn't come." The Dark Lord said as soon as he was in his work room. There was no need to clarify who 'she' was. There was only one 'she' whenever they talked.

"I'm sure she will arrive soon." He tried to calm his nervously pacing master. He felt responsible for her being late.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have acted like that toward her yesterday." He didn't quit his pacing. "What was Pettigrew thinking, talking about Potter while she was here?"

"I tried to talk some sense to it, sir, but it knocked before I could persuade it otherwise." He hated Peter and took the habit of completely ignoring him the day he returned from the dead, bringing the Dark Lord with him. In the rare occasions he had to talk or refer to him, he called him 'it'.

To be completely honest, the Dark Lord couldn't stand him either. The only thing that kept him from kicking the groveling, bootlicking rat out, was the fact he brought him to life. Being the man of honor that he was, his master just couldn't do it.

"It's very interesting how she calmed down in your arms yesterday." The Dark Lord suddenly stopped moving. "How she constantly relaxed when you took charge was just like when she was a baby. I wasn't surprised that it still worked even though she hates you and doesn't trust you. That's a very strong bond I put on you two." He paused for a minute. "I'm sorry, Severus." He placed a hand on his shoulder, and Severus knew he apologized for reminding him of his granddaughter unflattering feelings about him.

Gestures like apologizing or comforting were uncommon for the Dark Lord, unless he was alone with his family. Severus was the only non-family member he showed a special treatment, when there was no one around of course. The Dark Lord seemed to be seeing a lot of himself in his follower.

In the first two years of Hermione's life her grandfather was still with her. When she was almost two years old the incident with Harry Potter happened and he was gone. In those two years, and in the two years that passed since the Dark Lord was revived, he and his master formed a companionship of some sort, based on their mutual interest in Hermione's life.

He knew Severus had feelings for his granddaughter and it didn't seem to bother him. But maybe it was because he thought Hermione would never reciprocate them. He wondered how he would react if he knew the reason Hermione was late.

Severus only nodded in response. His master was correct. The bond between them was very strong, and even if she weren't his girlfriend she would still find comfort in his arms.

When he first admitted to himself that he was in love with Hermione, he blamed the bond for it. But the ancient books he read about it clearly stated it would not stir any feelings between the bonded people apart from the need to protect.

He remembered going through every book he could get his hands on, hoping he would find the reason for those feelings, but none of them helped. The day he decided to stop searching for an answer to his love for her he seriously considered getting drunk for the first time in his life. Being a spy, he couldn't afford to get drunk and risk revealing some secrets, but he was willing to make exception in this case and throw caution to the wind.

He didn't, however, because Dumbledore chose this exact moment to budge in and try to indulge him in small talk. He suspected the headmaster knew he was about to do something stupid and came to rescue him from himself. Nothing got past him. The old fool. Although Severus didn't partake in the conversation and was overall very unpleasant, by the time Dumbledore left he was able to think clearly again.

The Dark Lord's eyes flew to door as they both heard hesitant knocking. He magically opened it, revealing an anxious Hermione. Her hair was wet and Severus presumed she took another bath since he dried her hair completely, but he didn't blame her.

She looked surprised to see him there, but she seems to draw confidence from his presence which made his heart swell with satisfaction. His baby felt assured when he was near. He loved her so much!

He couldn't believe she wasn't his not two days ago. If someone told him then he would wake up next to her this morning he would think he inhaled too many Potions fumes. But he did, and she was his. In a weird way, granted, but his, and he was grateful for whatever he could take.

She looked positively radiant, glowing in the early morning light that came from the window, and he dared to hope he had something to do with that.

"Hi." She said nervously to his master.

"Hello Hermione." He said in a calm, confidant tone, and no one could tell not a second ago he was nervous and sure she would never show up. "I'm glad you could make it. We'll first eat breakfast and then we can get going. Let me just check if everything is in place." And then he turned to Severus. "I trust you would take care of matters here in my absence."

"I would." He nodded.

"Good. I'll be back in a few minutes."

The moment the door closed Hermione was in his arms. "God, I missed you pet." She said breathily while showering his face with kisses.

"You saw me an hour ago," he teased her. Secretly he was satisfied she missed him and couldn't keep her hands off him.

"I know. Please don't think I'm crazy. I know you probably didn't miss me but-"

"I missed you too, princess," he said before she could complete the sentence. And then he took her head in his hands, and held her still for a moment before he pressed their lips together impatiently. He groaned when he felt her soft tongue seeking entrance, which he granted willingly. The tingly sensation that always was there whenever he touched her became more dominant, as he kissed her more desperately.

"We can't…here." She tried to pull away from the kiss, but her hands still tried to make contact with his skin through the collar of his shirt. "My grandfather!" She warned him one final time before he came to his senses.

"It's…your fault…baby. You…started…kissing me." He said in-between gasps as they parted from the kiss, their foreheads touching. Somehow Severus ended on his master's chair, Hermione on his lap.

"I'm sorry…I couldn't…resist!" She moaned, which made his hold of her tighten.

"Are you trying to make me lose my sanity?" He asked her, his finger tracing the side of her slightly blushing cheek. She looked so beautiful. Her hair became a bit messy, her lips swollen and she was flushed and panting.

She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, and then they darkened and she leaned in for another kiss. They both shot from the chair as they heard steps approaching. They took a safe distance from each other and started to organize their clothes and hair. By the time the Dark Lord arrived, there was no evidence for their previous occupation.

"Everything's set. You may join us for breakfast, Severus." The Dark Lord indicated him and Hermione to follow.

When they reached the big, lit dining room his master took a tray, placed a plate on it and started to pile food. He then took a rose from a vas that stood on the table and positioned it nicely next to the plate. He filled a cup with freshly squeezed orange juice and headed outside, telling them both he would be back soon and that they can start eating.

Hermione shot him a confused look. "What's going on? Where did he take that tray?"

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head.

"What is it? I want to know." She pouted. Damn that girl. Did she know he couldn't resist her when she did that?

"I don't think your grandfather would appreciate it if I told you." He shook his head once more.

"Pleeeease." She didn't stop pouting as an evil glint glimmered in her eyes. She approached him, coming slowly, seductively closer and close to him. Her hips swayed with every step she took, until her face where merely a few inches away from his.

He could feel her hot breath on his lips, and he leaned forward to claim hers when she stepped back. "Tsk tsk tsk." She clicked her tongue. "No kiss for you till you tell me."

He growled in frustration and pulled her closer from her waist, grinding against her. "You little, devious minx." He whispered in her ear, and he was satisfied as he felt her shiver slightly. Ha! He would show her two could play this game! He bit her earlobe and she gaped in pleasure. "I _will_ tell you, but you've never heard it from me." He murmured, kissing the side of her neck.

"O…okay." She mumbled as she tilted her head to the side to allow him better access to her neck.

"He brings it to his wife's bed. That's his way of compensating her every morning he can't join her for breakfast. Now I would like to collect my kiss, please." And with that said he kissed her.

It seemed that all they could do when they were alone; kiss, hug, sometimes a bit more. But what could he do? She was so addictive. If he once upon a time thought that once he kissed her he would be satiated, he knew now how wrong he was. Every time he kissed her he desired her more. Every stolen touch they shared only intensified the magnitude of his need. He was lost to her. And he didn't mind one bit.

He loaded a plate with what he knew was her favorite food. Years of observing her eating habit taught him of her likes and dislikes. He handed the plate to her and she seemed surprised. He gave her a quick peck on her cheek and made sure she sat next to him so he would be able to feel her warmth.

When her grandfather opened the door, he found them both eating in silence. He took the seat in front of them and started his breakfast as well.

All through the meal Hermione's leg brushed his, and from time to time she held his hand under the table. She was careful the Dark Lord wouldn't suspect a thing though. She tried to find out where they were going to go exactly, but to no avail. Eventually she sighed in defeat and continued eating in silence.

When they finished, her grandfather took her hand and they apparated, leaving Severus alone. He missed her already. Was he too desperate? Of course he was.

The day dragged on and on, and gradually it was time for lunch. He apparated to his parents' house, hoping it would distract him from his ongoing thoughts about her.

"You look different," was the first thing Ellie told him as she opened the big wooden doors.

"Yeah, but good different." Draco commented standing next to his girlfriend. They were inseparable, especially now that he was hiding from the Dark Lord.

Severus raised his eyebrow, and went past them just to be greeted by his mother.

"Severus, are you staying for lunch?" She asked, hugging him and kissing his cheek as if he was a little boy of four.

"Yes." He enjoyed his mother's warm embrace a minute longer.

"Are you okay my dear?" She asked him affectionately, searching for answers in his eyes.

"I'm fine, just very tired." He smiled reassuringly.

"So you stayed up all night fooling around with one of your over-willing sluts from school?" Draco smirked at him, ignoring Ellie's irritated hissing at his direction. Severus glared at him until he rolled his eyes saying. "Merlin, loosen up a bit, I'm just kidding! I know you never take any of them to bed with you. I swear, sometimes I think you're gay!"

Snape couldn't wait for the night, when he'll be again in his baby's arms and "fool around" with her, as Draco so bluntly put it. He was seriously convinced he had lost his mind for good now. If he couldn't be without her for a day after only two days they were together, what would he do later in their relationship? Or worse, what would he do if there would be no later for their relationship?

He sighed, closing his eye and leaning back in his parents' living room's sofa. But burnt on his closed eyelids was the picture of his beautiful princess and her hungry eyes as she kissed him. And he couldn't help but smile at the memory of her beautifully cute face when she told him she missed him.

God he missed her so much!

~~~##*##~~~

Well this was one fluffy chapter, wasn't it? Though these are the chapters we love the most ;)

And only now I've noticed the whole chapter was from Sev's POV!

Because someone asked about the bond the Dark Lord placed on Hermione and Severus, I thought I'd clarify it in this chapter. I hope you understand it better now.

Next chapter would be really exciting and there's gonna be an unexpected twist!

A MAJOR surprise!

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!


	15. Chapter 15

So me lovelies!

I know it has been AGES but I'm sorry! I needed some (uberly long) time to myself…

That's why I'm gonna upload this chapter ASAP, which means it's not beta-ed. So you'll have to forgive any typing or grammar errors :)

I hope you enjoy the surprise you have here :)

Now chop-chop, go to read, and vote and comment!

**Chapter 15**

"What are we doing here?" Hermione asked her grandfather confused.

"That's what we came here for. We're going to spend the day in Disneyland. Your parents said you wanted to return here ever since you visited the last time."

"Oh…I…okay."

"Don't tell me you think you're too old for that." He looked at her amused. "Come, my dear, I promise you'll have the time of your life." He took her hand and walked toward the ticket windows.

When they were finally inside Hermione realized he was still holding her hand. She wanted to let go of it, but he just held it tighter.

"No, Hermione, right now I'm a grandfather who takes his granddaughter to a magical day of fun." He smiled a charming smile, and Hermione hated the giddiness that spread in her body.

Oh, how she wanted to have a cool grandparents all those years.

Her father was an orphan, and she suspected that part of the reason Voldemort accepted him was out of identification with his situation. When she had tried asking about her mother's parents her mother would have burst into tears, so she learnt to avoid the subject. Hermione understood now that the reason her mother cried all those years was her father's semi-dead state.

But now she could have the opportunity she always yearned for, to walk hand in hand with a grandfather, to eat ice cream with him, to call someone grandpa. Would he let her call him that? She would have to resort to blackmail.

"Fine! I'll let you be my cool grandfather if you let me call you grandpa." She crossed her hands stubbornly. "And if you'll buy me an ice cream," she added in an afterthought.

"Agreed," he answered without hesitation. "Now, where do you want to go first?"

"To Fantasyland!" She said, and started dragging him there.

"But isn't it for little kids?" He raised an eyebrow, allowing her to lead him.

"Don't tell me you think you're too old for that!" She let him taste his own medicine.

"She's smart _and_ funny." He muttered sarcastically. She was almost positively sure he rolled his eyes, but it was Voldemort, so it was impossible, right?

They roamed Fantasyland for a while, finally getting to Le Pays des Contes de Fées, which was a "Gentle, magical boat cruise" according to the brochure in Hermione's hands. She sat next to her grandfather relaxing. She knew she should have been frightened, she was in the Dark Lord's presence after all, but somehow she was confident he wouldn't hurt her for anything.

Slowly, she allowed herself to lean against his shoulder. 'It's just for one day,' she promised herself. 'There's no reason I'd be able never feel how it is to be with a real grandfather, and he is making an effort to be one.'

Her heart leaped as he wrapped his arms around her in silence. It seems like he was afraid that if he talked the spell would be broken and she would hate him all over again. Suddenly, a giggle escaped her lips.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I wonder what people would say if they knew you are sitting in a freakin boat surrounded by scenes from Disney!" She explained.

"They would probably think hell froze." He squeezed her shoulders.

A buzz in her pocket woke them both from the easy silence that followed his statement. Hermione took her iPhone out and saw Harry had texted her, asking her where she was.

-you'd never believe it, Harry, im in Disneyland!, She replied.

-no way! where exactly?

- le pays des contes de fees

-okay, cool.

Hermione waited for a few seconds to see if he's going to say anything else, but when he didn't, she slipped the cellphone back into her pocket, and took the hand her grandfather offered as she got out from the boat.

She and her grandfather were dusting off their clothes when she heard "Hermione! Over here!"

'Oh god, please no!' She prayed wordlessly as she turned around to see Harry and Ginny approaching. What the hell were they doing here, and more importantly what was she going to do with the fact that Voldemort stood right next to her!

"If you do anything to hurt them…" She mumbled through clenched teeth as she plastered a happy expression on her face, "You are going to regret it for the rest of your life, or what would be left of them after I'm done with you." And she wasn't joking. Harry and Ginny's friendship was too valuable to her. They helped her through tough times, just like she did for them, and she would let no one hurt them, Voldemort or not.

"Why would I hurt them?" He asked innocently "After all, in just your loving, muggle grandfather."

And she was face to face with the happy couple.

"Mione, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked eagerly, running to hug her.

"I should ask you the same question!" She replied.

"Oh, Harry and I couldn't decide where to go for our honeymoon, France or Italy, so he told me he would take me now to France, and for the honeymoon we'll go to Italy. Isn't he the most wonderful, my man?" She asked kissing Harry on his cheek.

"I suppose I really am" Harry answered, as he went to hug Hermione in greeting. She could feel her grandfather stiffening and releasing her hand.

"Who is it?" He jerked his finger towards Voldemort, and Hermione was relieved he didn't recognize his face. "Don't tell me you're into _that _much older dudes now. The last age limit was bad enough."

"I'm her grandfather." Voldemort rushed past Hermione, offering Harry his hand.

"You have a grandfather?" He asked, surprised, shaking the offered hand.

"Well of course I do, what did you think?" The best defense is offence, right?

"I guess you never told us about him," Harry raked his hand through his hair

"I guess you never asked," She shrugged.

"Well, I'm Harry Potter, and this is Ginny Weasley, my fiancée." He introduced himself.

"I've heard so much about you." Her grandfather smirked.

"I think you realized by now we heard nothing about you." Ginny laughed pleasantly "But this is going to change soon. I want to know all about you!" She declared.

"My name is Tom," He started, elegantly avoiding his last name "And I'm her mother's father." He put on a charismatic smile. This was the Tom Riddle that could conquer every woman's heart. He was set to impress. "I'm taking her on a day of adventure, but it seems her idea of adventure is this." He gestured with his hand around the place.

"Well, my idea of adventure is more exciting," Ginny said, as Voldemort combined his and Ginny's arms gentlemanly and started to pace with her to the next attraction. "But I can't. I carry this man's child so I have to stick to the subtle parts of the park." She gave a Harry a loving glare.

'No, don't go and tell him you're pregnant!' Hermione chided her mutely. That's exactly what they needed, that Voldemort would have another weapon against them!

"How wonderful!" A suspicious glint was evident in her grandfather's eyes. "I'm sure you are very proud."

"That I am, Mister?..."

"No need to be so formal. Call me Tom, please."

"Tom it is, then. So, what's next?" Harry asked, tucking Hermione's elbow in in his.

"I don't know, Harry, are you sure you want my grandpa and me in your little romantic experience?" Hermione asked, hoping Harry would get away quickly; away from them, away from her grandfather, away from freaking Voldemort!

"Nah, I actually texted you because Ginny was starting to get bored with me." Harry waved his hand dismissively. "She said it was really stupid to come to Disneyland pregnant and a week before the wedding no less. And then she became one bundle of pregnancy hormones-"

"I can hear you, you know!" Ginny interrupted irritably from ahead of them.

"And she demanded I'll make sure you apparate here." Harry continued as if he didn't hear her. And then he stopped and looked from Hermione's grandfather to Hermione guiltily.

"It's okay" Hermione assured him. "He knows about magic."

"Oh good. So anyway, she hoped that you two would be able to discuss wedding matters. For all that she cared it would be fine if I would be kidnapped by mercenaries." He finished with a pained sigh.

"And you're not even married yet!" Hermione said in feigned marvel.

"I know, I already told you I should have stuck with you." He said sadly while Ginny snickered.

Voldemort just seemed amused by the whole situation and through all that time a secretive smile played on his lips.

"I'm afraid I won't let just anyone have my granddaughter, Miss Weasley, so you can rest assure you'll still have your man by the end of the day." He talked to her soberly.

"Oh, but my Harry is not 'just anyone', you know." Ginny responded, her chest swelling with pride. "I don't know what Hermione told you, but my bunny is quite the celebrity in our world." She patted Tom's hand.

"Yes, she told me he killed this evil man, Voldemort, right?" He looked at Harry to confirm the name.

Hermione wanted to die then and there.

"I didn't really kill him" he said uneasily. "It sort of happened. I really wish it didn't, though."

"But you became famous." The Dark Lord pointed out.

"But my parents are dead." A tortured look crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced with a big smile. "Let's not dwell on unfortunate matters today, okay? It's supposed to be a day of fun."

"I agree," Hermione said too quickly, hoping they would change the dangerous subject. "I thought we can go to le Petit Train du Cirque if that's okay with you guys?"

"And here goes the last shred of romance from our pre-wedding honeymoon." Harry sighed overdramatically. "My woman is in another man's arm, and we're about to ride a train full of sniveling, noisy children."

"Get used to it, Harry." Hermione gave him an evil grin.

"And as for me being in another man's arm, if it bothers you so much I can always sit next to Hermione in that ride." Ginny gave him a toothy smile.

"I don't know what's worse, to discover your wife-to-be with another man or with another woman." Harry shook his head gloomily.

"Oh, would you cut it out already, Harry?" Hermione rolled her eyes at him as they climbed to their seats. Hermione sat at Ginny's side, and in front of them Harry sat next to her grandfather. "It stopped being funny ages ago"

"I don't think he can." Ginny whispered loud enough for him to hear. "I think it's in his nature to try to imply someone has an affair with you. If I didn't know better I'd think he's jealous."

"Ha ha, now who's trying to be funny?" Harry scolded her.

"Whatever, Potter."

"Whatever, Weasley."

"Are they always like that?" Her grandfather turned to ask her in amusement as the train started to move. Hermione noticed that as the day progressed she was stopping to think about him as Voldemort or the Dark Lord. Rather, she was thinking of him more and more like her grandfather, and she didn't even know why! It's not like he did anything special, he just…didn't act very Voldemorty.

"They're usually worse, much worse. They are only putting up a façade on your behalf." Hermione smiled at them fondly.

"But we love each other to death." Harry turned around to look at his fiancée with eyes full of love. "Do you know how is it that you find someone you could never live without? That you wish to wake up next to every morning? To go to sleep by every night?" He asked him.

"Yes" Her grandfather had a wistful expression. At this moment, Hermione had an epiphany. The Dark Lord knew love. He knew how to love. He loved her mother, he loved her, and above all, he loved his wife. Little flashes of his behavior around her flooded her mind. The way he talked to her, the way he seemed to always seek her closeness when they were at the same room, the way he let her talk him into things he didn't want, that he brought her breakfast to bed like he did today. She only saw him a handful of times but she already picked up so many episodes.

She couldn't help but recall the heated talk she had with Snape about the lies Dumbledore fed them. He told her the late headmaster did it so they wouldn't be discouraged, so they would feel somehow superior to the Dark Lord, to boost them with false confidence. Was it another one of those lies? Did he lie to them when he said Voldemort didn't know love? Then why did he recoil from Harry's touch when he was in Quirrell's body?

"I know I'm very young." Harry continued "I'm only seventeen and what do I know about love, right? But I do know that Ginny is all what I've described and I know she feels the same, so what do I need to wait for?" He shrugged. "Pregnant or not, I would have proposed to her sooner or later. Life's too short to waste on waiting, especially my life. I don't know if I would be alive tomorrow. Hell, every moment Voldemort could jump from a corner and kill me, so I'm going to spend time with Ginny as much as I can and make sure it would be memorable to her."

They spent the rest of the day doing everything they wanted. Her grandfather practically bought her everything she laid her eyes on and Harry spoiled Ginny just as much. The highlight of that day for Hermione, as silly as it may sound, was when he bought her an ice cream just like she always dreamed.

To Hermione's surprise he behaved perfectly, not even once making Harry or Ginny suspicious. In fact, they seemed to like him very much. Hermione found it terribly ironic and surreal that he and Harry got along so well. They laughed and joked with one another, though Voldemort's humored was more sarcastic than anything.

When it was time to go back home, Harry shook her grandfather's hand enthusiastically, smiling from ear to ear. "Thank you Tom, that was really nice of you to let us come with you and Hermione."

"It was my pleasure." He replied. Hermione sensed that his voice was strained.

Ginny came to hug Hermione, and then she hugged her grandfather as well. "Thanks, Tom. You're the coolest grandfather ever! I know you probably planned to be with Hermione alone and not with her hyper friends, so thank you for not shooing us away."

Voldemort seemed surprised by her gesture but he didn't withdraw from Ginny's embrace.

"Seriously, we needed it." Harry rested his hand on Ginny's shoulders. " I mean, I didn't have such a carefree day in ages. Even my scar didn't hurt one bit today!"

"Your scar?" Her grandfather lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh yes, I forgot you didn't see it." Out of habit, he moved the hair from his forehead, unveiling the lightning-bolt shaped scar. "That's the souvenir from my first fight with Voldemort. It usually hurts like hell whenever he has strong emotions; like when he plans to kill me or when he's very angry at something."

Like in a trance, her grandfather raised is finger to trace the scar. His eyes were transfixed to it and Hermione waited to hear Harry's scream of anguish; after all, the Dark Lord was touching his scar! Instead Harry gave him a warm smile and said his final goodbyes.

"Goodbye, we really enjoyed getting to know you, Tom. I hope we'll meet again soon.

"Yes, me too." his face was guarded as he replied, and Hermione couldn't identify any emotion in it.

Harry took Ginny's hand, leading her to a secluded spot where they could disapparate from. When they were gone, Hermione noticed her grandfather's glare boring the place where they stood not a few moments ago.

Why couldn't they end this stupid war? Without prejudice they all seemed to get together so well. Harry and Tom were so much alike, they could have been friend if today was any indication at all. She wondered what Harry would have said if she had told him who he spent the day with.

She walked in silence with her grandfather to the same secluded spot from which they apparated to his headquarters.

"I had a really good time today." Hermione admitted almost reluctantly.

"I'm afraid it was more because of your friends then me." He attempted to say lightly.

"No. I really appreciate the effort you put today. Don't think it went unnoticed." She smiled to him.

"Maybe we should do it again." He suggested.

"Maybe we should." She agreed.

"We'll talk about it." He promised. "Now go home and have some rest. Goodnight." And he was gone. Hermione stood there for a few seconds slightly puzzled at his sudden departure, but then she decided to head home.

She knew rest wasn't waiting for her. Ho no. Severus is probably going to be very demanding after a full day he didn't see her, just like he was last night. Was it weird he acted like that only two days after they got together? No, Hermione decided. That was her Severus, possessive and owning. That's just the way she loved him.

For some reason she didn't feel tired at all when she thought about him waiting for her in his apartment, and she couldn't wait to be on his arms again.

~~~##*##~~~

BAM!

Didn't expect Harry and Voldie would meet, did you now? hahahhaha

I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

What do you think? Review now! Yes you! I'm talking to you!

Vote and comment!


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